Simultaneous sulfonylation/arylation of styrene derivatives is achieved in a photoredox-catalyzed three-component reaction using visible light. A broad variety of difunctionalized products is accessible in mostly excellent yields and high diastereoselectivity. The developed reaction is scalable and suitable for the modification of styrene-functionalized biomolecules. Mechanistic investigations suggest the transformation to be operating through a designed sequence of radical formation and radical combination.<br>
<p>Due to the lack of synthetic methods for their synthesis, azetidines are an underrepresented class of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Herein, we describe the development of a mild, general protocol for the synthesis of azetidines relying on a visible light-mediated [2+2] cycloaddition between oximes and olefins catalyzed by an iridium photocatalyst. This approach is characterized by its operational simplicity, low catalyst loadings and functional group tolerance. Mechanistic investigations suggest that a triplet energy transfer mechanism is operative.<br></p>
A large variety of highly functionalized N-containing polycycles (35 examples) are synthetized from simple indoles and aromatic ketones through a mild visible-light-driven [2+2]-heterocycloaddition process. Tetrahydrooxeto[2,3b]indole scaffolds, with up to three contiguous all-substituted stereo-centers are generated in high yield (up to >98%) and excellent site- regio- and diastereocontrol (>20:1). The use of visible light (405 or 465 nm) ensures enhanced performances by switching off undesired photodimerization reactions. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the operative reaction mechanism is dependent by the nature of the used ketone-substrate.
Simultaneous sulfonylation/arylation of styrene derivatives is achieved in a photoredox-catalyzed three-component reaction using visible light. A broad variety of difunctionalized products is accessible in mostly excellent yields and high diastereoselectivity. The developed reaction is scalable and suitable for the modification of styrene-functionalized biomolecules. Mechanistic investigations suggest the transformation to be operating through a designed sequence of radical formation and radical combination.<br>
Cover Feature: Crystal‐to‐Crystal Synthesis of Photocatalytic Metal–Organic Frameworks for Visible‐Light Reductive Coupling and Mechanistic Investigations (ChemSusChem 13/2020)
