The present invention provides an electrochemical method for producing diaryl iodonium compounds wherein application of an electric current to an electrochemical cell containing a reaction mixture composed of a solvent, an iodoaryl compound and an electrolyte forms an oxidizing agent in situ. In this first step, the oxidizing agent is subsequently converted into a stable oxidized iodoaryl intermediate, typically an iodosyl compound. The electric potential is removed and in a second step a target aryl compound is introduced to the reaction mixture to react with the oxidized iodoaryl intermediate to form a diaryl iodonium compound.