Photoinduced Proton Transfer Promoted by Peripheral Subunits for Some Hantzsch Esters

High-Throughput Determination of Stern-Volmer Quenching Constants for Common Photocatalysts and Quenchers

Mechanistic information on reactions proceeding via photoredox catalysis has enabled rational optimizations of existing reactions and revealed new synthetic pathways. One essential step in any photoredox reaction is catalyst quenching via photoinduced electron transfer or energy transfer with either a substrate, additive, or cocatalyst. Identification of the correct quencher using Stern-Volmer studies is a necessary step for mechanistic understanding; however, such studies are often cumbersome, low throughput and require specialized luminescence instruments. This report describes a high-throughput method to rapidly acquire a series of Stern-Volmer constants, employing readily available fluorescence plate readers and 96-well plates. By leveraging multichannel pipettors or liquid dispensing robots in combination with fast plate readers, the sampling frequency for quenching studies can be improved by several orders of magnitude. This new high-throughput method enabled the rapid collection of 220 quenching constants for a library of 20 common photocatalysts with 11 common quenchers. The extensive Stern-Volmer constant table generated greatly facilitates the systematic comparison between quenchers and can provide guidance to the synthetic community interested in designing and understanding catalytic photoredox reactions.

Visible-Light-Induced Alkoxyl Radicals Enable α-C(sp3)-H Bond Allylation

The alkoxyl radical is an essential reactive intermediate in mechanistic studies and organic synthesis with hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactivity. However, compared with intramolecular 1,5-HAT or intermolecular HAT of alkoxyl radicals, the intramolecular 1,2-HAT reactivity has been limited to theoretical studies and rarely synthetically utilized. Here we report the first selective 1,2-HAT of alkoxyl radicals for α-C(sp³)-H bond allylation of α-carbonyl, α-cyano, α-trifluoromethyl, and benzylic N-alkoxylphthalimides. The mechanistic probing experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed the 1,2-HAT reactivity of alkoxyl radicals, and the use of protic solvents lowered the activation energy by up to 10.4 kcal/mol to facilitate the α-C(sp³)-H allylation reaction.

Visible-light-induced radical hydrodifluoromethylation of alkenes

Visible-light-induced radical hydrodifluoromethylation of alkenes with the phosphonium salt [Ph₃P⁺CF₂H Br⁻] under transition-metal-free conditions is described.

Reactions of gem-Difluorinated Phosphonium Salts Induced by Light

gem-Difluorinated phosphonium salts, which are readily obtained from aldehydes and difluoromethylene phosphobetaine, can serve as a source of radicals under reductive conditions. An iridium complex or Hantzsch ester was used as a one-electron reducing agent when irradiated with visible light. The fluorinated radicals were trapped with various alkenes, leading to products either via a photoredox cycle (for the iridium catalyst) or via a hydrogen atom transfer (for the Hantzsch ester).