Visible Light Mediated α‐Amino C—H Functionalization Reactions

Abstract

Visible light, especially sunlight, has often been regarded as a clean energy because of its high natural abundance, greenness, benign environmental impact, and sustainability. Visible light photocatalysis has emerged as a popular and effective strategy for the activation of various C—H bonds, and many useful compounds that are not easily accessible under thermal conditions can be constructed under mild conditions. This chapter highlights the recent advances in visible light mediated α-amino C—H functionalization reactions involving iminium ions or α-amino radicals as the key intermediates. The iminium ion intermediate was first generated under the irradiation of visible light in the presence of Ru(bpy)3Cl2 and bromotrichloromethane. The generated nitrogen radical cation lost a hydrogen atom with the aid of oxygen or nitroalkane to generate an iminium ion. Subsequently, trapping of iminium ion with nitroalkanes delivered the final products.