A new ruthenium(II)-catalyzed electrooxidative [4+2] annulation of primary benzylic alcohols with internal alkynes is described, which enables benzylic alcohols as weakly directing group precursors to access isocoumarins via multiple C–H functionalization. The reaction works well with a broad substrate scope, tolerates a wide range of functional groups, and incorporates practically the isocoumarin unit into diverse bioactive molecules. Mechanistic studies indicate that activation of aryl C(sp²)–H bonds is achieved through the generation of the active benzoyloxy–Ru(II) intermediates via oxidation of benzylic alcohols using an electrooxidative Ru(II) catalyst.

A Mn-promoted intermolecular oxidative radical heteroannulation of N-(2-cyanoaryl)-acrylamides and tertiary silanes has been described, which provides an efficient route to produce silicon/nitrogen heterocycles, sila-analogues of the known carbon-based structural motifs prevalent in bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals and materials. The reaction enables Si-incorporation by controlling accurately several chemical bond cleavage and formation processes. Moreover, this reaction represents a new one-step construction of 1,3-azasiline-fused quinolinones that was achieved via silyl C(sp³)–H functionalization using an oxidative radical strategy.

Oxidative radical cleavage of Si–H/silyl C(sp³)–H bonds, dual Si–H bonds and Si–H/Si–Si bonds toward Si-heterocycles is presented.

A new electrochemical decarboxylative [4+2] annulation of arylglyoxylic acids with internal alkynes involving C–H functionalization by means of a cooperative anode and ruthenium catalysis is presented. This reaction represents a mechanistically novel strategy as an ideal supplement to the decarboxylative [4+2] annulation methodology by employing an electrooxidative process to avoid the use of an additional external oxidizing reagent and utilizing H₂O as the carboxyl oxygen atom source to be engaged in the synthesis of 1H-isochromen-1-ones.