Chlorination of arenes via the degradation of toxic chlorophenols

Chlorination reactions are widely applied in organic synthesis, with aryl chlorides being key intermediates in the synthesis of many pharmaceutical products. Here, we demonstrate that waste materials such as chlorophenol pollutants can be valorized as chlorination reagents via catalytic transfer of the chloro group during their mineralization for the generation of valuable aryl chlorides. This process adds value to the destruction of chlorophenol pollutants, and the concept could potentially be extended to the valorization of other classes of stockpiles awaiting mineralization.