Asymmetric Radical–Radical Cross‐Coupling through Visible‐Light‐Activated Iridium Catalysis

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201509524
• Publication Date: 2015-12-02T13:47:08Z
• Authors: Chuanyong Wang; Jie Qin; Xiaodong Shen; Radostan Riedel; Klaus Harms; Eric Meggers
• Keywords: Visible spectrum

Abstract Combining single electron transfer between a donor substrate and catalyst‐activated acceptor with stereocontrolled radical–radical recombination enables the visible‐light‐driven catalytic enantio‐ diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2‐amino alcohols from trifluoromethyl ketones tertiary amines. With chiral iridium complex acting as both Lewis acid photoredox catalyst, enantioselectivities up to 99 % ee were achieved. A quantum yield <1 supports proposed cycle in which at least one photon is needed for each asymmetric CC bond formation mediated by transfer.