Energy Transfer Photocatalytic Radical Rearrangement in N-Indolyl Carbonates

Org Lett. 2022 Mar 11;24(9):1774-1779. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00085. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Abstract

A new type of sp3-like N-centered radical has been generated by selective energy transfer catalysis. Upon photoexcitation, homolytic N-O bond cleavage of N-indolyl carbonate in the presence of an Ir complex produced N- and O-centered radicals. The high spin density at the C3 position of indole led to radical recombination with the O-centered radical, affording valuable 3-oxyindole derivatives without decarboxylation. Transformations of the desired products into various molecules were also demonstrated.