Mechanistic and preparative studies of radical chain homolytic substitution reactions of N-heterocyclic carbene boranes and disulfides

Pyridine-borane complex-catalysed thioesterification: the direct conversion of carboxylic acids to thioesters

Thioesters are a common class of biologically active fragments and synthetically useful building blocks. An attractive synthetic approach would be to use simple and bench-stable carboxylic acids as a coupling partner. Herein, we present a 4-bromo pyridine-borane complex as a catalyst for the direct coupling of carboxylic acids with thiols. A wide range of thioesters with good functional group compatibility could be prepared via this metal-free approach. The merit of this strategy is exemplified by the modification of carboxylic acid-containing drugs.

Radical hydroboration for the synthesis of organoboron compounds

Organoboron compounds demonstrate diverse applications in the fields of organic synthesis, materials science, and medicinal chemistry. Compared to the conventional hydroboration reaction, radical hydroboration serves as an alternative approach for the synthesis of organoborons via different mechanisms. In radical hydroboration, a boryl radical is initially generated from homolytic cleavage of a B-H or a B-B bond, which is then added to an unsaturated double bond to deliver a carbon radical. Subsequent hydrogen atom transfer or reduction of the carbon radical to form a carbanion followed by protonation gave the final product. Over the past few years, numerous efforts have been made for efficient synthesis of boryl radicals and the expansion of substrate scope of the radical hydroboration reaction. Here, we discuss the recent advancement of radical hydroboration and its associated mechanisms. Numerous radical hydroboration strategies employing N-heterocyclic carbene borane, bis(pinacolato)diboron and pinacolborane as the boron source were illustrated. Thermochemical, photochemical and electrochemical strategies for the generation of boryl radicals were also discussed in detail.

Access to NHC-Boryl Mono- and Bis-Selenide and Utility as Mild Selenium Transfer Reagent Including to the C-F Bond

Reactions of 5-SIDipp ⋅ BH3 (5-SIDipp=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene) (1) with diphenyldiselenide provide access to 5-SIDipp-boryl mono- (5-SIDipp ⋅ BH2 SePh) (2) and bis-selenide (5-SIDipp ⋅ BH(SePh)2 ) (3). The facile cleavage of the B-Se bond makes 2 a neutral source of selenium nucleophiles in substitutions reactions with benzyl bromides, and provide access to the corresponding selenoethers. The direct transformations of one of the C(sp2 )-F bonds of C5 F5 N and C6 F5 CF3 to C-Se bonds have also been achieved by the use of 2 without employing transition-metal catalysts. While it was previously established that C6 F6 could undergo complete defluoroselenation under harsh conditions, we successfully achieved partial defluorination of C6 F6 by employing 2 as a mild selenide transfer reagent. During the formation of C-Se bonds through the cleavage of C-F bonds, the potential by-product NHC ⋅ BH2 F undergoes ring expansion of the NHC, leading to the formation of the six-membered diaazafluoroborinane (7).

Synthesis of 1,1-Diarylvinylsulfides via Visible-Light-Promoted Cascade Reaction of Alkynoates with Phenyl Disulfides

Without any additives and photocatalysts, the visible-light-promoted radical cascade reaction between alkynoates and phenyl disulfides has been developed at room temperature. Through S-S bond photolysis and homolytic cleavage, addition of a sulfur radical, aryl migration, decarboxylation, and H atom abstraction, the cascade reaction provides an efficient and practical route to trisubstituted 1,1-diarylvinylsulfides with a wide scope of substrates and good to excellent yields.

Photocatalytic Boryl Radicals Triggered Sequential B─N/C─N Bond Formation to Assemble Boron-Handled Pyrazoles

Vinyldiazo compounds are one of the most important synthons in the construction of a cyclic ring. Most photochemical transformations of vinyldiazo compounds are mainly focusing on utilization of their C═C bond site, while reactions taking place at terminal nitrogen atom are largely unexplored. Herein, a photocatalytic cascade radical cyclization of LBRs with vinyldiazo reagents through sequential B─N/C─N bond formation is described. The reaction starts with the addition of LBRs (Lewis base-boryl radicals) at diazo site, followed by intramolecular radical cyclization to access a wide range of important boron-handled pyrazoles in good to excellent yields. Control experiments, together with detailed mechanism studies well explain the observed reactivity. Further studies demonstrate the utility of this approach for applications in pharmaceutical and agrochemical research.

Lewis Base-Boryl Radicals Enabled Borylation Reactions and Selective Activation of Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds

ConspectusThe past decades have witnessed tremendous progress on radical reactions. However, in comparison with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and other main group element centered radicals, the synthetic chemistry of boron centered radicals was less studied, mainly due to the high electron-deficiency and instability of such 3-center-5-electron species. In the 1980s, Roberts and co-workers found that the coordination of a Lewis base (amines or phosphines) with the boron center could form 4-center-7-electron boryl radicals (Lewis base-boryl radicals, LBRs) that are found to be more stable. However, only limited synthetic applications were developed. In 2008, Curran and co-workers achieved a breakthrough with the discovery of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) boryl radicals, which could enable a range of radical reduction and polymerization reactions. Despite these exciting findings, more powerful and valuable synthetic applications of LBRs would be expected, given that the structures and reactivities of LBRs could be easily modulated, which would provide ample opportunities to discover new reactions. In this Account, a summary of our key contributions in LBR-enabled radical borylation reactions and selective activation of inert carbon-heteroatom bonds will be presented.Organoboron compounds have shown versatile applications in chemical society, and their syntheses rely principally on ionic borylation reactions. The development of mechanistically different radical borylation reactions allows synthesizing products that are inaccessible by traditional methods. For this purpose, we progressively developed a series of NHC-boryl radical mediated chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective radical borylation reactions of alkenes and alkynes, by which a wide variety of structurally diverse organoboron molecules were successfully prepared. The synthetic utility of these borylated products was also demonstrated. Furthermore, we disclosed a photoredox protocol for oxidative generation of NHC-boryl radicals, which enabled useful defluoroborylation and arylboration reactions.Selective bond activation is an ideal way to convert simple starting materials to value-added products, while the cleavage of inert chemical bonds, in particular the chemoselectivity control when multiple identical bonds are present in similar chemical environments, remains a long-standing challenge. We envisaged that finely tuning the properties of LBRs might provide a new solution to address this challenge. Recently, we disclosed a 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-boryl radical promoted sequential C-F bond functionalization of trifluoroacetic acid derivatives, in which the α-C-F bonds were selectively snipped via a spin-center shift mechanism. This strategy enables facile conversion of abundantly available trifluoroacetic acid to highly valuable mono- and difluorinated molecules. Encouraged by this finding, we further developed a boryl radical enabled three-step sequence to construct all-carbon quaternary centers from a range of trichloromethyl groups, where the three C-Cl bonds were selectively cleaved by the rational choice of suitable boryl radical precursors in each step. Furthermore, a boryl radical promoted dehydroxylative alkylation of α-hydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives was achieved, allowing for the efficient conversion of some biomass platform molecules to high value products.

Photoinduced Halogen-Atom Transfer by N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Ligated Boryl Radicals for C(sp3)-C(sp3) Bond Formation

Herein, we present a comprehensive study on the use of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-ligated boryl radicals to enable C(sp³)-C(sp³) bond formation under visible-light irradiation via Halogen-Atom Transfer (XAT). The methodology relies on the use of an acridinium dye to generate the boron-centered radicals from the corresponding NHC-ligated boranes via single-electron transfer (SET) and deprotonation. These boryl radicals subsequently engage with alkyl halides in an XAT step, delivering the desired nucleophilic alkyl radicals. The present XAT strategy is very mild and accommodates a broad scope of alkyl halides, including medicinally relevant compounds and biologically active molecules. The key role of NHC-ligated boryl radicals in the operative reaction mechanism has been elucidated through a combination of experimental, spectroscopic, and computational studies. This methodology stands as a significant advancement in the chemistry of NHC-ligated boryl radicals, which had long been restricted to radical reductions, enabling C-C bond formation under visible-light photoredox conditions.

Radical borylation of vinyl azides with NHC-boranes: divergent synthesis of α-boryl ketones and borylated triazoles

A divergent radical borylation of vinyl azides with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) boranes in the presence of ^tBuSH is described. The protocol enables the divergent synthesis of α-boryl ketones and borylated triazoles with excellent functional group tolerance and a broad substrate scope. Remarkably, this work shows that vinyl azides can serve as unprecedented five-atom synthons for the construction of 1,2,3-triazoles without N₂ extrusion.

Advances in chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbene boryl radicals

Boron-centred radicals (boryl radicals) are potential and attractive species in main group chemistry and synthetic chemistry. Recently, the development of boron compounds ligated by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has sparked off advavnces in boryl radical chemistry because NHCs can highly stabilise boryl radicals by electronic and steric factors. This review highlights recent synthesis and reactions of such NHC-boryl radicals. From the standpoint of main group chemistry, examples of isolation or detection of unique NHC-boryl radicals are presented. From the standpoint of synthetic chemistry, on the other hand, the development of reactions of user-friendly NHC-boryl radicals, which has contributed to radical chemistry, organoboron chemistry and polymer science, is comprehensively described.

Development of a Borane-(Meth)acrylate Photo-Click Reaction

In the development of 3D printing fuels, there is a need for new photoinitiating systems working under mild conditions and/or leading to polymers with new and/or enhanced properties. In this context, we introduce herein N-heterocyclic carbene-borane complexes as reagents for a new type of photo-click reaction, the borane-(meth)acrylate click reaction. Remarkably, the higher bond number of boranes relative to thiols induced an increase of the network density associated with faster polymerization kinetics. Solid-state NMR evidenced the strong participation of the boron centers on the network properties, while DMA and AFM showed that the materials exhibit improved mechanical properties, as well as reduced solvent swelling.

Hydroalkylation of Unactivated Olefins via Visible-Light-Driven Dual Hydrogen Atom Transfer Catalysis

Radical hydroalkylation of olefins enabled by hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalysis represents a straightforward means to access C(sp³)-rich molecules from abundant feedstock chemicals without the need for prefunctionalization. While Giese-type hydroalkylation of activated olefins initiated by HAT of hydridic carbon-hydrogen bonds is well-precedented, hydroalkylation of unactivated olefins in a similar fashion remains elusive, primarily owing to a lack of general methods to overcome the inherent polarity-mismatch in this scenario. Here, we report the use of visible-light-driven dual HAT catalysis to achieve this goal, where catalytic amounts of an amine-borane and an in situ generated thiol were utilized as the hydrogen atom abstractor and donor, respectively. The reaction is completely atom-economical and exhibits a broad scope. Experimental and computational studies support the proposed mechanism and suggest that hydrogen-bonding between the amine-borane and substrates is beneficial to improving the reaction efficiency.

Borylfuroxans: Synthesis and Applications

Herein we report the first synthesis of borylfuroxans via the reaction of sulfonylfuroxans with Lewis base-ligated boranes under radical conditions. As a synthetic application, the transformation of borylfuroxans to a range of 1,2-dioximes and their derivatives is demonstrated.

Radical Borylative Cyclization of Isocyanoarenes with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Borane: Synthesis of Borylated Aza-arenes

Borylated aza-arenes are of great importance in the area of organic synthesis. A radical borylative cyclization of isocyanoarenes with N-heterocyclic carbene borane (NHC-BH₃) under metal-free conditions was developed. The reaction allows the efficient assembly of several types of borylated aza-arenes (phenanthridines, benzothiazoles, etc.), which are difficult to access using alternative methods. Mild reaction conditions, a good functional-group tolerance, and generally good efficiencies were observed. The utility of these products is demonstrated, and the mechanism is discussed.

Inverse Hydroboration of Imines with NHC-Boranes Is Promoted by Diphenyl Disulfide and Visible Light

We describe a simple and efficient procedure for nucleophilic borylation of imines in the absence of a photoredox catalyst. Visible light irradiation of an acetonitrile solution of an imine, an NHC-borane, and diphenyl disulfide (10 mol %) provides various stable α-amino NHC-boranes in good yields. The reaction proceeds via addition of a nucleophilic boryl radical to an imine, followed by hydrogen abstraction from thiophenol, which is generated from NHC-borane and diphenyl disulfide.

N-Heterocyclic carbene and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene adducts of gallium hydrides, gallium chlorides and gallium hydrochlorides

The synthesis and characterization of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (cAAC) gallane and chlorogallane adducts of the type (NHC)·GaH3 (NHC = Me2ImMe1, iPr2Im 2, iPr2ImMe3 and Dipp2ImH4; Me2ImMe = 1,3,4,5-tetra-methyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene; R2Im = 1,3-di-organyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl; Dipp2ImH = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolidin-2-ylidene), (NHC)·GaH2Cl (NHC = iPr2ImMe9, Dipp2Im 10 and Dipp2ImH11; iPr2ImMe = 1,3 diisopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), (NHC)·GaHCl2 (NHC = iPr2ImMe12, Dipp2Im 13 and Dipp2ImH14) and (cAACMe)·GaHCl215 is reported. Compounds 1-3 and 9-11 are unstable in solution as heating to the boiling temperature of toluene (110 °C) leads to decomposition into elemental gallium and the corresponding dihydroaminal NHC-H2. The reaction of the mono-NHC adducts with a second equivalent of NHC also afforded decomposition and formation of NHC-H2, whereas the reaction of the NHC-stabilized gallanes with one equivalent cAACMe leads to an insertion of the cAACMe carbene carbon atom into the Ga-H bond. The synthesis and characterization of (NHC)·GaH2(cAACMeH) (NHC = Me2ImMe5, iPr2ImMe6 and Dipp2Im 7), the products of an oxidative addition of (NHC)·GaH3 to cAACMe, are presented. The adduct (Dipp2ImH)·GaH34 reacts with two equivalents of cAACMe under the release of Dipp2ImH and insertion of two cAACMe molecules into the Ga-H bond to give the bisalkylgallane (cAACMeH)2GaH 8. If one or two hydrogen atoms of the NHC gallane adducts are replaced with an electron-withdrawing chloride substituent, a selective insertion of cAACMe into the Ga-H bond occurs only for the adducts of sterically less demanding NHCs such as iPr2ImMe. The reaction of cAACMe with (iPr2ImMe)·GaH2Cl 9 and (iPr2ImMe)·GaHCl212 afforded (iPr2ImMe)·GaHCl(cAACMeH) 16 and (iPr2ImMe)·GaCl2(cAACMeH) 17. The reaction of cAACMe with (NHC)·GaHCl2 and (NHC)·GaH2Cl (NHC = Dipp2Im, Dipp2ImH), adducts of the sterically more demanding NHCs, leads to an extrusion of the NHC to (cAACMe)·GaHCl215 and (cAACMeH)2GaCl 18.

Hydrodecyanation of Secondary Alkyl Nitriles and Malononitriles to Alkanes using DiMeImd-BH3

The decyanation of secondary aliphatic nitriles and the 2-fold decyanation of malononitriles leading to alkanes in the presence of 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene borane (diMeImd-BH₃) are reported. These reactions proceed via a radical mechanism that involves the addition of a borane radical to the nitrile to form an iminyl radical, followed by cleavage of a carbon-carbon bond. Theoretical calculations suggest that the β-cleavage of these iminyl radicals, which affords NHC-BH₂CN and the corresponding alkyl radicals, is the rate-determining step in this reaction.

Photocatalytic C-F Bond Borylation of Polyfluoroarenes with NHC-boranes

The first photoredox-catalyzed defluoroborylation of polyfluoroarenes with NHC-BH₃ has been facilely achieved at room temperature via a single-electron-transfer (SET)/radical addition pathway. This new strategy makes full use of the advantage of photoredox catalysis to generate the key boryl radical via direct activation of a B-H bond. Good functional group tolerance and high regioselectivity offer this protocol incomparable advantages in preparing a wide array of valuable polyfluoroarylboron compounds. Moreover, both computational and experimental studies were performed to illustrate the reaction mechanism.

Photoinduced Single-Electron Transfer as an Enabling Principle in the Radical Borylation of Alkenes with NHC-Borane

A photoinduced SET process enables the direct B-H bond activation of NHC-boranes. In contrast to common hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) strategies, this photoinduced reaction simply takes advantage of the beneficial redox potentials of NHC-boranes, thus obviating the need for extra radical initiators. The resulting NHC-boryl radical was used for the borylation of a wide range of α-trifluoromethylalkenes and alkenes with diverse electronic and structural features, providing facile access to highly functionalized borylated molecules. Labeling and photoquenching experiments provide insight into the mechanism of this photoinduced SET pathway.

Highly diastereoselective preparation of chiral NHC-boranes stereogenic at the boron atom

Stereogenic main group elements are clearly generating interest in the enantioselective catalysis field. Surprisingly, while chiral organoboron reagents are very useful in stereoselective transformations, few scaffolds stereogenic at boron and configurationally stable have been reported to date. Herein, we describe an original library of chiral NHC-boranes, stereogenic at the boron atom, that has been prepared in only a few steps and in good yields (up to 93%). Key steps involve a chlorination/arylation sequence in the presence of simple Grignard reagents from bicyclic NHC-boranes. The high and unprecedented diastereoselectivity observed during the second step (up to 99 : 1 dr) has been rationalized through a plausible SRN1 mechanism thanks to EPR observations and DFT calculations.

Regioselective radical α-borylation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds for direct synthesis of α-borylcarbonyl molecules

Organoboron compounds are highly valuable in synthetic chemistry. In particular, α-borylcarbonyl compounds have shown versatile synthetic applications, owing to fruitful chemistries of both the boryl and carbonyl moieties. However, the synthesis of these molecules still remains tedious and time-consuming. Here we report a straightforward and practical route to synthesize α-borylcarbonyl molecules based on a regioselective radical α-borylation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The reaction features unusual α-regioselectivity and high functional-group compatibility. Further synthetic applications of new α-borylated products were also demonstrated. DFT and kinetic studies implicated that the α-regioselectivity of β-aryl-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds was determined by the thermodynamically more favorable radical α-addition step, whereas the formation of α-addition products from β-alkyl-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds was driven by an energetically favored hydrogen atom transfer step. Given that α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds can be easily obtained in abundance and variety, this method enjoys great advantages in diverse and economical synthesis of valuable α-borylcarbonyl molecules.

α-Borylcarbonyl compounds are versatile synthons in organic synthesis, however their preparation is often tedious. Here, the authors report a regioselective radical α-borylation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to afford α-borylcarbonyl molecules with high selectivity and functional group compatibility.

Thiolation of NHC-boranes: influence of the substitution at boron

Several N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC)-boryl sulfides with B-substituents were prepared. The added steric hindrance leads to much improved selectivities as only the NHC-boryl mono-sulfides were obtained. The B-substituted NHC-boranes are also conducive to more selective S to N NHC-boryl shift, provided that the NHC used is not too sterically demanding.

Site-Selective α-Alkoxyl Alkynation of Alkyl Esters Mediated by Boryl Radicals

A novel method for site-selective C-H functionalization of ethyl acetate mediated by pyridine-boryl radicals is presented, delivering a variety of 4-phenylbut-3-yn-2-yl acetate derivatives under mild conditions. A distinguishing feature of this reaction is that the pyridine-ligated boryl radicals can abstract the inactive α-hydrogen of the alkoxyl group instead of the α-hydrogen of carbonyl groups described in a previous report using amine-ligated boryl radicals. Significantly, substrates with halogen atoms are compatible under the reaction conditions.

A trisulfur radical anion (S3˙−) involved sulfur insertion reaction of 1,3-enynes: sulfide sources control chemoselective synthesis of 2,3,5-trisubstituted thiophenes and 3-thienyl disulfides

Cascade cyclization reactions of S₃˙⁻in situ generated from S₂⁻ with 1,3-enynes for the chemoselective synthesis of 2,3,5-trisubstituted thiophenes and 3-thienyl disulfides controlled by sulfide salts are developed.

B2pin2-catalyzed oxidative cleavage of a CC double bond with molecular oxygen

B₂pin₂-catalyzed oxidative cleavage of the CC double bond of an olefin with molecular oxygen as the oxidant and oxygen source has been developed.

Synthesis of Diverse Boron-Handled N-Heterocycles via Radical Borylative Cyclization of N-Allylcyanamides

A synthetic method based on radical borylation/cyclization cascades of N-allylcyanamides was developed to construct diverse boron-substituted N-heterocycles. In the reaction process, the N-heterocyclic carbene-boryl radical underwent a chemo- and regioselective addition to the alkene moiety, followed by cyclization with the N-cyano group. The resulting amide-iminyl radical intermediates underwent further reactions to afford various boron-tethered N-heterocyclic molecules. Further transformations to access synthetically useful building blocks were also demonstrated.

Radical Arene Addition vs Radical Reduction: Why Organometal Hydride Chain Reactions Stop and How To Make Them Go

Nonideal kinetic chain analysis was used to examine the kinetic limitations of free-radical synthesis. Homolytic aromatic substitution (HAS: ArH + R^• → ArR + H^•) occurs in a chain-terminating side reaction to the tributyltin hydride ( SnH) reduction chain (RX + SnH + ( i^•)_cat. → RH + SnX). Kinetic modeling of premixed and slow reagent addition reactions have clarified the mechanisms of SM HAS, with the azo initiator ( iNN i) acting not only as radical source but also (as an H^• acceptor) as the redox catalyst for aromatization, and/or as a postaddition oxidant. Refractory halides and other hitherto baffling anomalies may arise from the build up of ipso (rather than ortho)-cycloadduct radicals in the steady-state radical population. The implications of these findings for "tin-free" radical chains (and emerging photoredox methods) are considered via historical and recent examples of the effects of chain-degrading radical transfer (to substrate, product, solvent, initiator, and/or reagent ligands) on the reagent's chain.

Radical Borylative Cyclization of 1,6-Dienes: Synthesis of Boron-Substituted Six-Membered Heterocycles and Carbocycles

A radical borylative cyclization reaction of 1,6-dienes was developed to assemble boron-handled six-membered heterocycles and carbocycles. This reaction was initiated by the chemo- and regio-controlled addition of an N-heterocyclic carbene-boryl radical to one of the alkene tethers, followed by an intramolecular 6- exo cyclization to afford a six-membered ring framework. The utility of this method was demonstrated in the synthesis of diverse paroxetine analogues through late-stage derivatization of the boryl functional unit.

Boryl Radicals-Triggered Selective C-H Functionalization for the Synthesis of Diverse Phenanthridine Derivatives

A boryl radical-triggered C-H functionalization of aliphatic ethers/amines or DMF with isocyanides is developed to deliver diverse phenanthridine derivatives in good to excellent yields. The substrate scope is broad, and a wide range of functional groups are tolerated under the standard conditions. The rapid removal of HBPin species by 4-cyanopyridine 1-oxide provides the driving force for this reaction. This new method should make boryl radicals widely applicable in organic synthesis.

Synergistic Photoredox Catalysis and Organocatalysis for Inverse Hydroboration of Imines

The first catalytic inverse hydroboration of imines with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) boranes has been realized by means of cooperative organocatalysis and photocatalysis. This catalytic combination provides a promising platform for promoting NHC-boryl radical chemistry under sustainable and radical-initiator-free conditions. The highly important functional-group compatibility and possible application in late-stage hydroborations represent an important step forward to an enhanced α-amino organoboron library.

Organocatalytic reductive coupling of aldehydes with 1,1-diarylethylenes using an in situ generated pyridine-boryl radical

A pyridine-boryl radical promoted reductive coupling reaction of aldehydes with 1,1-diarylethylenes has been established.

A pyridine-boryl radical promoted reductive coupling reaction of aldehydes with 1,1-diarylethylenes has been established via a combination of computational and experimental studies. Density functional theory calculations and control experiments suggest that the ketyl radical from the addition of the pyridine-boryl radical to aldehydes is the key intermediate for this C–C bond formation reaction. This metal-free reductive coupling reaction features a broad substrate scope and good functional compatibility.