Visible- and UV-Light-Induced Decarboxylative Radical Reactions of Benzoic Acids Using Organic Photoredox Catalysts

J Org Chem. 2020 Apr 17;85(8):5362-5369. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c00055. Epub 2020 Mar 24.

Abstract

Photoinduced decarboxylative radical reactions of benzoic acids with electron-deficient alkenes, diborane, and acetonitrile under organic photoredox catalysis conditions and mild heating afforded adducts, arylboronate esters, and the reduction product, respectively. The reaction is thought to involve single-electron transfer promoted the generation of aryl radicals via decarboxylation. A diverse range of benzoic acids were found to be suitable substrates for this photoreaction. Only our two-molecule organic photoredox system can work well for the direct photoinduced decarboxylation of benzoic acids.