Visible-Light-Mediated [2+2] Photocycloadditions of Alkynes

Visible-light-mediated [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction can be considered an ideal solution due to its green and sustainable properties, and is one of the most efficient methods to synthesize four-membered ring motifs. Although research on the [2+2] photocycloaddition of alkynes is challenging because of the diminished reactivity of alkynes, and the more significant ring strain of the products, remarkable achievements have been made in this field. In this article, we highlight the recent advances in visible-light-mediated [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions of alkynes, with focus on the reaction mechanism and the late-stage synthetic applications. Advances in obtaining cyclobutenes, azetines, and oxetene active intermediates continue to be breakthroughs in this fascinating field of research.

Single-Electron Oxidation-Initiated Enantioselective Hydrosulfonylation of Olefins Enabled by Photoenzymatic Catalysis

Controlling the enantioselectivity of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions has been a long-standing synthetic challenge. While recent advances on photoenzymatic catalysis have demonstrated the great potential of non-natural photoenzymes, all of the transformations are initiated by single-electron reduction of the substrate, with only one notable exception. Herein, we report an oxidation-initiated photoenzymatic enantioselective hydrosulfonylation of olefins using a novel mutant of gluconobacter ene-reductase (GluER-W100F-W342F). Compared to known photoenzymatic systems, our approach does not rely on the formation of an electron donor-acceptor complex between the substrates and enzyme cofactor and simplifies the reaction system by obviating the addition of a cofactor regeneration mixture. More importantly, the GluER variant exhibits high reactivity and enantioselectivity and a broad substrate scope. Mechanistic studies support the proposed oxidation-initiated mechanism and reveal that a tyrosine-mediated HAT process is involved.

The hamburger-shape photocatalyst: thioxanthone-based chiral [2.2]paracyclophane for enantioselective visible-light photocatalysis of 3-methylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one and styrenes

A new thioxanthone-based photocatalyst with a [2.2]paracyclophane skeleton and planar chirality has been developed. The catalyst has been successfully applied in the visible light-mediated enantioselective aza Paternò-Büchi reactions of quinoxalinone and styrenes to produce azetidines. The structures of the catalyst derivatives were unequivocally determined by their single crystal X-ray crystallography analysis.

Rejuvenation of dearomative cycloaddition reactions via visible light energy transfer catalysis

Dearomative cycloaddition is a powerful technique to access sp3-rich three-dimensional structural motifs from simple flat, aromatic feedstock. The building-up of unprecedentedly diverse polycyclic scaffolds with increased saturation and stereochemical information having various applications ranging from pharmaceutical to material sciences, is an essential goal in organic chemistry. However, the requirement of large energy inputs to disrupt the aromaticity of an arene moiety necessitates harsh reaction conditions for ground state dearomative cycloaddition. The photochemical requirement encompasses use of ultraviolet (UV) light to enable the reaction on an excited potential energy surface. The microscopic reversibility under thermal conditions and the use of high energy harmful UV irradiation in photochemical manoeuvres, however, constrain their widespread use from a synthetic point of view. In this context, the recent renaissance of visible light energy transfer (EnT) catalysis has become a powerful tool to initiate dearomative cycloaddition as a greener and more sustainable approach. The excited triplet state population is achieved by triplet energy transfer from the appropriate photosensitizer to the substrate. While employing mild visible light energy as fuel, the process leverages an enormous potential of excited state reactivity. The discovery of an impressive portfolio of organic and inorganic photosensitizers with a range of triplet energies facilitates visible light photosensitized dearomative cycloaddition of various substrates to form sp3-rich fused polycyclic architectures with diverse applications. The tutorial review comprehensively surveys the reawakening of dearomative cycloadditions via visible light-mediated energy transfer catalysis in the past five years. The progress ranges from intra- and intermolecular [2π + 2π] to [4π + 2π], and ends at intermolecular [2π + 2σ] cycloadditions. Furthermore, the review provides potential possibilities for future growth in the growing field of visible light energy transfer catalysis.

Merger of Visible Light-Driven Chiral Organocatalysis and Continuous Flow Chemistry: An Accelerated and Scalable Access into Enantioselective α-Alkylation of Aldehydes

The electron donor-acceptor complex-enabled asymmetric photochemical alkylation strategy holds potential to attain elusive chiral α-alkylated aldehydes without an external photoredox catalyst. The photosensitizer-free conditions are beneficial concerning process costs and sustainability. However, lengthy organocatalyst preparation steps as well as limited productivity and difficult scalability render the current approaches unsuitable for synthesis on enlarged scales. Inspired by these limitations, a protocol was developed for the enantioselective α-alkylation of aldehydes based on the synergistic combination of visible light-driven asymmetric organocatalysis and a controlled continuous flow reaction environment. With the aim to reduce process costs, a commercially available chiral catalyst has been exploited to achieve photosensitizer-free enantioselective α-alkylations using phenacyl bromide derivates as alkylating agents. As a result of elaborate optimization and process development, the present flow strategy furnishes an accelerated and inherently scalable entry into enantioenriched α-alkylated aldehydes including a chiral key intermediate of the antirheumatic esonarimod.

Blue Light-Mediated, Photocatalyst-Free Decarboxylative Alkylation of Heteroaryl Sulfinimines

We report a diastereoselective, photocatalyst-free decarboxylative alkylation of (hetero)aryl sulfinimines using redox-active esters under blue light. High yields and diastereoselectivities can be achieved under mild conditions, and we demonstrate its utility as a synthetic method, especially for medicinal chemists.

Chiral Lewis acid catalysis in a visible light-triggered cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade

Cascade (domino) reactions facilitate the formation of complex molecules from simple starting materials in a single operation. It was found that 1-naphthaldehyde derivatives can be converted to enantioenriched (82-96% ee) polycyclic benzoisochromenes via a cascade of ortho photocycloaddition and ensuing acid-catalysed rearrangement reactions. The cascade was initiated by irradiation with visible light (λ = 457 nm) and catalysed by a chiral AlBr3-activated 1,3,2-oxazaborolidine (14 examples, 65-93% yield). The absolute configuration of the products was elucidated by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Mechanistic experiments suggest that the ortho photocycloaddition occurs on the triplet hypersurface and that the chiral catalyst induces in this step the observed enantioselectivity.

Ion-Pairing Catalysis in Stereoselective, Light-Induced Transformations

With the rapid development of photoredox catalysis, numerous concepts for asymmetric induction were successfully and broadly adapted from polar two-electron transformations to radical chemistry. While this applies to organocatalysis or transition metal chemistry, asymmetric ion-pairing catalysis remains a niche application within light-driven reactions today. This perspective gives an overview of recent examples, strategies, and their application in stereoselective transformations at the interface of ion-pairing and photo(redox) catalysis.

BINOL blocks as accessible triplet state modulators in BODIPY dyes

BINOL moieties of different electronic demand are useful blocks for enabling the photo-production and modulation of triplet excited states in readily-accesible BINOL-based O-BODIPY dyes from standard F-BODIPY precursors. The rapid and rational development of smarter triplet-enabling BODIPY dyes on the basis of this strategy (e.g., TADF biomarker 4a or room temperature phosphor 4g) paves the way for advancing photonic applications based on organic triplet photosensitizers.

Tuning the Activity-Stability Balance of Photocatalytic Organic Materials for Oxidative Coupling Reactions

Three materials containing a photoactive unit, 10-phenyl phenothiazine (PTH), have been studied for the visible light-mediated oxidative coupling of amines. In particular, the materials considered are assembled through the condensation of extended polyimine, polyhydrazone, or polytriazine frameworks. These three materials present different stabilities in the presence of strong nucleophiles such as amines, which is a key factor for efficient catalytic performance. In the series of materials reported herein, the triazine-based material shows the optimal compromise between activity and stability when studied for the oxidative coupling of amines, achieving imine products. Accordingly, while significant leaching of molecular active fragments is ruled out for triazine-based polymers, other materials of the series show a significant chemical erosion as a result of the reaction with the amine substrates. Consequently, only a triazine-based material allows performing several catalytic cycles (up to seven) with yields higher than 80%. The applicability of this heterogeneous catalyst has been proven with a variety of substrates, confirming its stability and obtaining diverse imine coupling products with excellent yields.

Cooperative Stereoinduction in Asymmetric Photocatalysis

Stereoinduction in complex organic reactions often involves the influence of multiple stereocontrol elements. The interaction among these can often result in the observation of significant cooperative effects that afford different rates and selectivities between the matched and mismatched sets of stereodifferentiating chiral elements. The elucidation of matched/mismatched effects in ground-state chemical reactions was a critically important theme in the maturation of modern stereocontrolled synthesis. The development of robust methods for the control of photochemical reactions, however, is a relatively recent development, and similar cooperative stereocontrolling effects in excited-state enantioselective photoreactions have not previously been documented. Herein, we describe a tandem chiral photocatalyst/Brønsted acid strategy for highly enantioselective [2 + 2] photocycloadditions of vinylpyridines. Importantly, the matched and mismatched chiral catalyst pairs exhibit different reaction rates and enantioselectivities across a range of coupling partners. We observe no evidence of ground-state interactions between the catalysts and conclude that these effects arise from their cooperative behavior in a transient excited-state assembly. These results suggest that similar matched/mismatched effects might be important in other classes of enantioselective dual-catalytic photochemical reactions.

Stereoselective, Ruthenium-Photocatalyzed Synthesis of 1,2-Diaminotruxinic Bis-amino Acids from 4-Arylidene-5(4H)-oxazolones

The irradiation of (Z)-2-phenyl-4-aryliden-5(4H)-oxazolones 1 in deoxygenated CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C with blue light (465 nm) in the presence of [Ru(bpy)₃](BF₄)₂ (5% mole ratio) as a triplet photocatalyst promotes the [2+2] photocycloaddition of the C=C bonds of the 4-arylidene moiety, thus allowing the completely regio- and stereoselective formation of cyclobutane-bis(oxazolone)s 2 as single stereoisomers. Cyclobutanes 2 have been unambiguously characterized as the μ-isomers and contain two E-oxazolones coupled in an anti-head-to-head form. The use of continuous-flow techniques in microreactors allows the synthesis of cyclobutanes 2 in only 60 min, compared with the 24–48 h required in batch mode. Ring opening of the oxazolone heterocycle in 2 with a base affords the corresponding 1,2-diaminotruxinic bis-amino esters 3, which are also obtained selectively as μ-isomers. The ruthenium complex behaves as a triplet photocatalyst, generating the reactive excited state of the oxazolone via an energy-transfer process. This reactive excited state has been characterized as a triplet diradical ³(E/Z)-1* by laser flash photolysis (transient absorption spectroscopy). This technique also shows that this excited state is the same when starting from either (Z)- or (E)-oxazolones. Density functional theory calculations show that the first step of the [2+2] cycloaddition between ³(E/Z)-1* and (Z)-1 is formation of the C(H)–C(H) bond and that (Z) to (E) isomerization takes place at the 1,4-diradical thus formed.

Asymmetric synthesis of cyclic β-amino carbonyl derivatives by a formal [3 + 2] photocycloaddition

Herein, a visible-light mediated strategy unlocking a family of cyclic β-amino carbonyl derivatives bearing three contiguous stereogenic centres is introduced. The overall reactivity relies on the performance of the substrate-catalyst complex to assist both the enantiocontrol and the photoredox tasks. This transformation led to an enantioselective [3 + 2] photocycloaddition between coordinated α,β-unsaturated acyl imidazoles and cyclopropylamine derivatives.

Technological Innovations in Photochemistry for Organic Synthesis: Flow Chemistry, High-Throughput Experimentation, Scale-up, and Photoelectrochemistry

Photoinduced chemical transformations have received in recent years a tremendous amount of attention, providing a plethora of opportunities to synthetic organic chemists. However, performing a photochemical transformation can be quite a challenge because of various issues related to the delivery of photons. These challenges have barred the widespread adoption of photochemical steps in the chemical industry. However, in the past decade, several technological innovations have led to more reproducible, selective, and scalable photoinduced reactions. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of these exciting technological advances, including flow chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, reactor design and scale-up, and the combination of photo- and electro-chemistry.

Chiral Photocatalyst Structures in Asymmetric Photochemical Synthesis

Asymmetric catalysis is a major theme of research in contemporary synthetic organic chemistry. The discovery of general strategies for highly enantioselective photochemical reactions, however, has been a relatively recent development, and the variety of photoreactions that can be conducted in a stereocontrolled manner is consequently somewhat limited. Asymmetric photocatalysis is complicated by the short lifetimes and high reactivities characteristic of photogenerated reactive intermediates; the design of catalyst architectures that can provide effective enantiodifferentiating environments for these intermediates while minimizing the participation of uncontrolled racemic background processes has proven to be a key challenge for progress in this field. This review provides a summary of the chiral catalyst structures that have been studied for solution-phase asymmetric photochemistry, including chiral organic sensitizers, inorganic chromophores, and soluble macromolecules. While some of these photocatalysts are derived from privileged catalyst structures that are effective for both ground-state and photochemical transformations, others are structural designs unique to photocatalysis and offer insight into the logic required for highly effective stereocontrolled photocatalysis.

Asymmetric Photocatalysis Enabled by Chiral Organocatalysts

Visible-light photocatalysis has advanced as a versatile tool in organic synthesis. However, attaining precise stereocontrol in photocatalytic reactions has been a longstanding challenge due to undesired photochemical background reactions and the involvement of highly reactive radicals or radical ion intermediates generated under photocatalytic conditions. To address this problem and expand the synthetic utility of photocatalytic reactions, a number of innovative strategies, including mono- and dual-catalytic approaches, have recently emerged. Of these, exploiting chiral organocatalysis, such as enamine catalysis, iminium-ion catalysis, Brønsted acid/base catalysis, and N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis, to induce chirality transfer of photocatalytic reactions has been widely explored. This Review aims to provide a current, comprehensive overview of asymmetric photocatalytic reactions enabled by chiral organocatalysts published through June 2021. The substrate scope, advantages, limitations, and proposed reaction mechanisms of each reaction are discussed. This review should serve as a reference for the development of visible-light-induced asymmetric photocatalysis and promote the improvement of the chemical reactivity and stereoselectivity of these reactions.

Enantioselective crossed intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions mediated by a chiral chelating Lewis acid

In intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions, the two tethered olefins can approach each other in a straight or in a crossed fashion. Despite the fact that the latter reaction mode leads to intriguing, otherwise inaccessible bridged skeletons, there has so far not been any enantioselective variants thereof. This study concerned the crossed [2+2]-photocycloaddition of 2-(alkenyloxy)cyclohex-2-enones to bridged cyclobutanes. It was found that the reaction could be performed with high enantioselectivity (80–94% ee) under visible light conditions when employing a chiral rhodium Lewis acid as a catalyst (2 mol%).

An enantioselective crossed [2+2] photocycloaddition is presented which proceeds under visible light irradiation in the presence of a chiral Lewis acidic metal complex. Chelation of two oxygen atoms to the metal centre accounts for the observed enantioface differentiation.

Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroalkoxylation of C-C Multiple Bonds

Asymmetric hydroalkoxylation of alkenes constitutes a redox-neutral and 100% atom-economical strategy toward enantioenriched oxygenated building blocks from readily available starting materials. Despite their great potential, catalytic enantioselective additions of alcohols across a C-C multiple bond are particularly underdeveloped, especially compared to other hydrofunctionalization methods such as hydroamination. However, driven by some recent innovations, e.g., asymmetric MHAT methods, asymmetric photocatalytic methods, and the development of extremely strong chiral Brønsted acids, there has been a gratifying surge of reports in this burgeoning field. The goal of this review is to survey the growing landscape of asymmetric hydroalkoxylation by highlighting exciting new advances, deconstructing mechanistic underpinnings, and drawing insight from related asymmetric hydroacyloxylation and hydration. A deep appreciation of the underlying principles informs an understanding of the various selectivity parameters and activation modes in the realm of asymmetric alkene hydrofunctionalization while simultaneously evoking the outstanding challenges to the field moving forward. Overall, we aim to lay a foundation for cross-fertilization among various catalytic fields and spur further innovation in asymmetric hydroalkoxylations of C-C multiple bonds.

Enantioselective synthesis of heterocyclic compounds using photochemical reactions

Different methods for the direct enantioselective photochemical synthesis of heterocycles are presented. Currently, asymmetric catalysis with templates involving hydrogen bonds or metal complexes is intensively investigated. Enzyme catalysis can be simplified under photochemical conditions. For example, in multi enzyme systems, one or more enzyme catalytic steps can be replaced by simple photochemical reactions. Chiral induction in photochemical reactions performed with homochiral crystals is highly efficient. Such reactions can also be carried out with crystalline inclusion complexes. Inclusion of a photochemical substrate and an enantiopure compound in zeolites also leads to enantioselective compounds. In all these methods, the conformational mobility of the photochemical substrates is reduced or controlled. Memory of chirality is a particular case in which a chiral information is temporally lost but the rigid conformations stabilize the molecular structure which leads to the formation of enantiopure compounds. Such studies allows a profound understanding on how particular conformations determine the configuration of the final products.Graphical abstract.

Solvent-Free Visible Light Photocatalytic Oxidation Processes Mediated by Transparent Films of an Imine-Based Organic Polymer

Reaction between concentrated solutions of phenotiazine containing trialdehyde building block 4,4′,4″-(10-phenothiazine-3,7,10-triyl)tribenzaldehyde and (1R,2R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine results in the formation of a yellow transparent film. Exhaustive characterization of this material indicates that it is the result of the assembly of a linear polymer resulting from the linking of imine-based macrocycles. Phenotiazine units confer to this plastic the optical properties characteristic of photocatalytic materials. The transparency of the obtained material enabled the performance of solvent-free photocatalytic processes. This concept is illustrated by the oxidation of liquid organic sulfides, which can be performed in a recyclable manner. According to selective quenching experiments, such processes are the result of the energy transfer to oxygen molecule, generating singlet oxygen that is able to activate the sulfide molecules directly.

Chiral Brønsted acid-controlled intermolecular asymmetric [2 + 2] photocycloadditions

Control over the stereochemistry of excited-state photoreactions remains a significant challenge in organic synthesis. Recently, it has become recognized that the photophysical properties of simple organic substrates can be altered upon coordination to Lewis acid catalysts, and that these changes can be exploited in the design of highly enantioselective catalytic photoreactions. Chromophore activation strategies, wherein simple organic substrates are activated towards photoexcitation upon binding to a Lewis acid catalyst, rank among the most successful asymmetric photoreactions. Herein, we show that chiral Brønsted acids can also catalyze asymmetric excited-state photoreactions by chromophore activation. This principle is demonstrated in the context of a highly enantio- and diastereoselective [2+2] photocycloaddition catalyzed by a chiral phosphoramide organocatalyst. Notably, the cyclobutane products arising from this method feature a trans-cis stereochemistry that is complementary to other enantioselective catalytic [2+2] photocycloadditions reported to date.

Lewis acids have recently been shown to enable stereocontrol in photochemical cycloadditions, a difficult task due to the reactivity of excited-state compounds. Here the authors show that chiral Brønsted acids are competent chromophore activators in [2+2] cycloadditions, forming diastereomers disfavored in similar Lewis acid catalyzed photochemical reactions.

Ditopic Phosphide Oxide Group: A Rigidifying Lewis Base to Switch Luminescence and Reactivity of a Disilver Complex

Heterodentate phosphines containing anionic organophosphorus groups remain virtually unexplored ligands in the coordination chemistry of coinage metals. A hybrid phosphine-phosphine oxide (o-Ph₂PC₆H₄)₂P(O)H (HP³O) readily forms the disilver complex [Ag₂(P³O)₂] (1) upon deprotonation of the (O)P-H fragment. Due to the electron-rich nature, the anionic phosphide oxide unit in 1 takes part in efficient intermolecular hydrogen bonding, which has an unusual and remarkably strong impact on the photoluminescence of 1, changing the emission from red (644 nm) to green-yellow (539 nm) in the solid. The basicity of the R₂(O)P^- group and its affinity for both inter- and intramolecular donor-acceptor interactions allow converting 1 into hydrohalogenated (2, 3) and boronated (4) derivatives, which reveal a gradual hypsochromic shift of luminescence, reaching the wavelength of 489 nm. Systematic variable-temperature analysis of the excited state properties suggests that thermally activated delayed fluorescence is involved in the emission process. The long-lived excited states for 1-4, the energy of which is largely regulated by means of the phosphide oxide unit, are potentially suitable for triplet energy transfer photocatalysis. With the highest T₁ energy among 1-4, complex 4 demonstrates excellent photocatalytic activity in a [2+2] cycloaddition reaction, which has been realized for the first time for silver(I) compounds.

Electron Transfer Quenching of Rhodamine 6G by N-Methylpyrrole Is an Unproductive Process in the Photocatalytic Heterobiaryl Cross-Coupling Reaction

In the heterobiaryl cross-coupling reaction between aryl halides (Ar-X) and N-methylpyrrole (N-MP) catalyzed by rhodamine 6G (Rh6G⁺) under irradiation with visible light, a highly active and long-lived (millisecond time range) rhodamine 6G radical (Rh6G^•) is formed upon electron transfer from N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) to Rh6G⁺. In this study, we utilized steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy techniques to demonstrate the existence of another electron-transfer process occurring from the relatively electron-rich N-MP to photoexcited Rh6G⁺ that was neglected in the previous reports. In this case, the radical Rh6G^• formed is short-lived and undergoes rapid recombination (nanosecond time-range), rendering it ineffective in reducing Ar-X to aryl radicals Ar^• that can subsequently be trapped by N-MP. This is further demonstrated via two model reactions involving 4'-bromoacetophenone and 1,3,5-tribromobenzene with insignificant product yields after visible-light irradiation in the absence of DIPEA. The unproductive quenching of photoexcited Rh6G⁺ by N-MP leads to a lower concentration of photocatalyst available for competitive charge transfer with DIPEA and hence decreases the efficiency of the cross-coupling reaction.

Visible-Light-Driven Selective Air-Oxygenation of C-H Bond via CeCl3 Catalysis in Water

Visible-light-induced C-H aerobic oxidation is an important chemical transformation that can be applied for the synthesis of aromatic ketones. High-cost catalysts and toxic solvents were generally needed in the present methodologies. Here, an efficient aqueous C-H aerobic oxidation protocol was reported. Through CeCl₃ -mediated photocatalysis, a series of aromatic ketones were produced in moderate to excellent yields. With air as the oxidant, this reaction could be performed under mild conditions in water and demonstrated high activity and functional group tolerance. This method is economical, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly, and it will provide inspiration for the development of aqueous photochemical synthesis reactions.

Recent Visible Light and Metal Free Strategies in [2+2] and [4+2] Photocycloadditions

When aiming to synthesize molecules with elevated molecular complexity starting from relatively simple starting materials, photochemical transformations represent an open avenue to circumvent analogous multistep procedures. Specifically, light-mediated cycloadditions remain as powerful tools to generate new bonds begotten from non-very intuitive disconnections, that alternative thermal protocols would not offer. In response to the current trend in both industrial and academic research pointing towards green and sustainable processes, several strategies that meet these requirements are currently available in the literature. This Minireview summarizes [2+2] and [4+2] photocycloadditions that do not require the use of metal photocatalysts by means of alternative strategies. It is segmented according to the cycloaddition type in order to give the reader a friendly approach and we primarily focus on the most recent developments in the field carried out using visible light, a general overview of the mechanism in each case is offered as well.

Enhancing Visible-Light Photocatalysis via Endohedral Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Organic Dyes

The encapsulation of an organic dye, 10-phenylphenothiazine (PTH), in the inner cavity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a breaking heterogenization strategy is presented. The PTH@oSWNT material was microscopically and spectroscopically characterized, showing intense photoemission when illuminated with visible light at the nanoscale. Thus, PTH@oSWNT was employed as a heterogeneous photocatalyst in single electron transfer dehalogenation reactions under visible light irradiation. The material showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity, achieving turnover numbers as high as 3200, with complete recyclability and stability for more than eight cycles. Computational calculations confirm that electronic communication between both partners is established because, upon illumination, an electron of the excited PTH is transferred from the π system of the molecule to the delocalized π-cloud of the SWNT, thus justifying the enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Activation of 2-Cyclohexenone by BF3 Coordination: Mechanistic Insights from Theory and Experiment

Lewis acids have recently been recognized as catalysts enabling enantioselective photochemical transformations. Mechanistic studies on these systems are however rare, either due to their absorption at wavelengths shorter than 260 nm, or due to the limitations of theoretical dynamic studies for larger complexes. In this work, we overcome these challenges and employ sub-30-fs transient absorption in the UV, in combination with a highly accurate theoretical treatment on the XMS-CASPT2 level. We investigate 2-cyclohexenone and its complex to boron trifluoride and analyze the observed dynamics based on trajectory calculations including non-adiabatic coupling and intersystem crossing. This approach explains all ultrafast decay pathways observed in the complex. We show that the Lewis acid remains attached to the substrate in the triplet state, which in turn explains why chiral boron-based Lewis acids induce a high enantioselectivity in photocycloaddition reactions.

Asymmetric three-component olefin dicarbofunctionalization enabled by photoredox and copper dual catalysis

The intermolecular three-component alkene vicinal dicarbofunctionalization (DCF) reaction allows installation of two different carbon fragments. Despite extensive investigation into its ionic chemistry, the enantioseletive radical-mediated versions of DCF reactions remain largely unexplored. Herein, we report an intermolecular, enantioselective three-component radical vicinal dicarbofunctionalization reaction of olefins enabled by merger of radical addition and cross-coupling using photoredox and copper dual catalysis. Key to the success of this protocol relies on chemoselective addition of acyl and cyanoalkyl radicals, generated in situ from the redox-active oxime esters by a photocatalytic N-centered iminyl radical-triggered C-C bond cleavage event, onto the alkenes to form new carbon radicals. Single electron metalation of such newly formed carbon radicals to TMSCN-derived L1Cu(II)(CN)2 complex leads to asymmetric cross-coupling. This three-component process proceeds under mild conditions, and tolerates a diverse range of functionalities and synthetic handles, leading to valuable optically active β-cyano ketones and alkyldinitriles, respectively, in a highly enantioselective manner (>60 examples, up to 97% ee).

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of 5-membered alicyclic α-quaternary β-amino acids via [3 + 2]-photocycloaddition of α-substituted acrylates

The photocatalytically active salt of a cationic iridium polypyridyl complex and a chiral borate is competent to promote a highly stereoselective [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of cyclopropylurea with α-substituted acrylates. This protocol provides straightforward access to a variety of stereochemically defined 5-membered alicyclic α-quaternary β-amino acids, useful building blocks of β-peptides and peptidomimetics.

Asymmetric [2+2] photocycloaddition via charge transfer complex for the synthesis of tricyclic chiral ethers

The asymmetric synthesis of chiral polycyclic ethers by an intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition is described. This process proceeded through a photocatalytically active iminium ion-based charge transfer (CT) complex under visible light irradiation. In this way a stereocontrolled [2+2] photocycloaddition is enabled leading to tricyclic products with good enantiomeric ratios.

Cooperative photoredox and palladium catalysis: recent advances in various functionalization reactions

Cooperative photoredox and palladium catalysis for various functionalization reactions.

Syntheses of new chiral chimeric photo-organocatalysts

A new family of chiral chimeric photo-organocatalysts derived from phosphoric acid were synthesized and their spectroscopic and electrochemical properties were investigated. Then, the ability of these photo-activable molecules to catalyse an asymmetric tandem electrophilic β-amination of enecarbamates was evaluated.

A new family of chimeric chiral photocatalysts in which a BINOL derived phosphoric acid embeds one or two photosensitizer dyes was prepared. We have demonstrated their ability to catalyse an enantioselective electrophilic amination reaction.

Merging CF3SO2Na photocatalysis with palladium catalysis to enable decarboxylative cross-coupling for the synthesis of aromatic ketones at room temperature

By merging CF₃SO₂Na-mediated photocatalysis with palladium catalysis, an efficient decarboxylative coupling strategy of α-keto acids and aryl boronic acids has been developed for the synthesis of aromatic ketones.