Photoinduced Charge-Transfer State of 4-Carbazolyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic Acid: Photophysical Property and Application to Reduction of Carbon-Halogen Bonds as a Sensitizer

Assessing Carbazole Derivatives as Single-Electron Photoreductants

The electron-donating capabilities of carbazoles have stimulated interest in their use as photoinduced single-electron reductants. Due to the modularity of the carbazole, a further broadening and understanding of their reactivity could be achieved by manipulating the structure. Herein, eight carbazole derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and assessed as single-electron photoreductants in the hydrodehalogenation of aryl halides and the arylation of N-methylpyrrole.

Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface and photo-physical analysis of 2-nitro-3-phenyl-9H-carbazole

The title compound, C18H12N2O2, was synthesized from a di-nitro-biphenyl-benzene derivative using a novel modification of the Cadogan reaction. The reaction has several possible ring-closed products and the title compound was separated as the major product. The X-ray crystallographic study revealed that the carbazole compound crystallizes in the monoclinic P space group and possesses a single closed Cadogan ring. There are two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding.

Photocatalytic Reductive C-O Bond Cleavage of Alkyl Aryl Ethers by Using Carbazole Catalysts with Cesium Carbonate

Methods to activate the relatively stable ether C-O bonds and convert them to other functional groups are desirable. One-electron reduction of ethers is a potentially promising route to cleave the C-O bond. However, owing to the highly negative redox potential of alkyl aryl ethers (E^red < -2.6 V vs SCE), this mode of ether C-O bond activation is challenging. Herein, we report the visible-light-induced photocatalytic cleavage of the alkyl aryl ether C-O bond using a carbazole-based organic photocatalyst (PC). Both benzylic and non-benzylic aryl ethers underwent C-O bond cleavage to form the corresponding phenol products. Addition of Cs₂CO₃ was beneficial, especially in reactions using a N-H carbazole PC. The reaction was proposed to occur via single-electron transfer (SET) from the excited-state carbazole to the substrate ether. Interaction of the N-H carbazole PC with Cs₂CO₃ via hydrogen bonding exists, which enables a deprotonation-assisted electron-transfer mechanism to operate. In addition, the Lewis acidic Cs cation interacts with the substrate alkyl aryl ether to activate it as an electron acceptor. The high reducing ability of the carbazole combined with the beneficial effects of Cs₂CO₃ made this otherwise formidable SET event possible.

Generation of Alkyl Radicals: From the Tyranny of Tin to the Photon Democracy

Alkyl radicals are key intermediates in organic synthesis. Their classic generation from alkyl halides has a severe drawback due to the employment of toxic tin hydrides to the point that "flight from the tyranny of tin" in radical processes was considered for a long time an unavoidable issue. This review summarizes the main alternative approaches for the generation of unstabilized alkyl radicals, using photons as traceless promoters. The recent development in photochemical and photocatalyzed processes enabled the discovery of a plethora of new alkyl radical precursors, opening the world of radical chemistry to a broader community, thus allowing a new era of photon democracy.

Protocol for Visible-Light-Promoted Desulfonylation Reactions Utilizing Catalytic Benzimidazolium Aryloxide Betaines and Stoichiometric Hydride Donor Reagents

An unprecedented photocatalytic system consisting of benzimidazolium aryloxide betaines (BI⁺-ArO^-) and stoichiometric hydride reducing reagents was developed for carrying out desulfonylation reactions of N-sulfonyl-indoles, -amides, and -amines, and α-sulfonyl ketones. Measurements of absorption spectra and cyclic voltammograms as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to gain mechanistic information. In the catalytic system, visible-light-activated benzimidazoline aryloxides (BIH-ArO^-), generated in situ by hydride reduction of the corresponding betaines BI⁺-ArO^-, donate both an electron and a hydrogen atom to the substrates. A modified protocol was also developed so that a catalytic quantity of more easily prepared hydroxyaryl benzimidazolines (BIH-ArOH) is used along with a stoichiometric hydride donor to promote the photochemical desulfonylation reactions.

Enantioselective photoredox dehalogenative protonation

We report an enantioselective photoredox dehalogenative protonation as a new type of asymmetric protonation. As a paradigm, with a cooperative catalytic system consisting of a chiral H-bonding catalyst and a dicyanopyrazine-derived chromophore (DPZ) photosensitizer that is irradiated with visible light, a range of cyclic and acyclic ketones with labile chiral secondary C-F, C-Cl and C-Br bonds at the α-position were obtained in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee) by using a secondary amine as the terminal reductant. Given the ready accessibility of halides, the success of this work should provide inspiration for constructing diverse chiral α-tertiary carbonyls and their variants.

UVA- and Visible-Light-Mediated Generation of Carbon Radicals from Organochlorides Using Nonmetal Photocatalyst

Carbon radicals are reactive species useful in various organic transformations. The C-X bond cleavage of organohalides by photoirradiation is a common method to generate carbon radicals in a controlled fashion. The use of organochloride substrates is still a formidable challenge due to the low reduction potential and the high dissociation energy of the C-Cl bond. In this report, we address these issues by using a nonmetal organic molecule with a relatively simple structure as a photocatalyst. In this catalyst (bis(dimethylamino)carbazole), the amino groups increase both the HOMO and LUMO energy levels, especially in the former. As a result, compared to the parent molecule, the new catalyst shows experimentally red-shifted absorption in the visible region and forms an excited state with better reducing capability. This photocatalyst was used in the reduction of unactivated aryl chlorides and alkyl chlorides in the presence of hydrogen atom donor at room temperature. The catalytic system can also be applied to the coupling of aryl chlorides with electron-rich arene and heteroarenes to affect the C-C bond-forming reactions. Our mechanistic study results support the assumption that carbon radicals are formed from the organochlorides via a single-electron-transfer step.

Benzimidazolium Naphthoxide Betaine Is a Visible Light Promoted Organic Photoredox Catalyst

Benzimidazolium naphthoxide (^-ONap-BI⁺) was first synthesized and utilized as an unprecedented betaine photoredox catalyst. Photoexcited state of ^-ONap-BI⁺ generated by visible light irradiation catalyzes the reductive deiodination as well as desulfonylation reactions in which 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenylbenzimidazoline (Ph-BIH) cooperates with as an electron and hydrogen atom donor. Significant solvent effects on the reaction progress were discovered, and specific solvation toward imidazolium and naphthoxide moieties of ^-ONap-BI⁺ was proposed.

A gold isocyanide complex with a pendant carboxy group: orthogonal molecular arrangements and hypsochromically shifted luminescent mechanochromism

The epistatic double hydrogen bonds that arise from the presence of a pendant carboxy group in a gold isocyanide complex result in strong aurophilic interactions in a magenta-emitting polymorph.