Regioselective electrochemical cyclobutanol ring expansion to 1-tetralones

A mild electrochemical method for the regioselective preparation of 1‐tetralones under environmentally friendly conditions from readily available cyclobutanols was developed. A series of aromatic‐ and heteroaromatic‐fused 1‐tetralones was accessed through ring expansion of the functionalized cyclobutanols via electrochemical generation of alkoxy radicals and intramolecular cyclization