Cooperative NHC/Photoredox Catalysis: Three‐Component Reaction of Aroyl Fluorides, Styrenes and Oxalates

Abstract

Comprehensive SummaryCooperative NHC/photoredox catalysis has emerged as an important research field in recent years. Herein, this article describes the use of cesium salt derivatives of tert‐alcohols as alkyl radical precursors in a three‐component reaction with styrene and aromatic acyl fluorides to synthesize α‐arylalkyl aryl ketones. The aroyl fluoride reacts with the NHC catalyst, leading to the formation of an acyl azolium ion. This acyl azolium ion can then be reduced by the photoredox catalyst, generating the corresponding ketyl radical anion. The C‐radical generated from oxalate oxidation undergoes an addition reaction with the styrene derivative, followed by cross‐coupling of the addition radical with the ketone radical, which is fragmented by NHC to give the target ketone.