Abstract The cathodic reduction, under various conditions, of phthalyl chloride enables efficient synthesis of (E)-[1, 1′] biisobenzofuranyliden-3, 3′-dion (4),[2]-benzopyrano [4, 3- c]-[2] benzopyrano-6, 12-dione (7), 3-chlorophthalide (8), phtalide (9), or (E)-3 [α- (benzoyloxy) benzylidene] phthalide (12); the structure of the latter compound was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.