Isonitriles as Alkyl Radical Precursors in Visible Light Mediated Hydro- and Deuterodeamination Reactions

Herein, we report the use of isonitriles as alkyl radical precursors in light-mediated hydro- and deuterodeamination reactions. The reaction is scalable, shows broad functional group compatibility and potential to be used in late-stage functionalization. Importantly, the method is general for C alpha-primary, C alpha-secondary and C alpha-tertiary alkyl isonitriles. For most examples, high yields were obtained through direct visible-light irradiation of the isonitrile in the presence of a silyl radical precursor. Interestingly, in the presence of an organic photocatalyst (4CzIPN) a dramatic acceleration was observed. In-depth mechanistic studies using UV/Vis absorption, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence, and transient absorption spectroscopy suggest that the excited state of 4CzIPN can engage in a single-electron transfer with the isonitrile. We report the use of isonitriles as alkyl radical precursors in visible-light mediated hydro- and deuterodeamination reactions. Most examples only require visible-light irradiation of the isonitrile in the presence of a silyl radical precursor, although a significant acceleration was observed in the presence of an organic photocatalyst. The method is scalable, shows broad functional group compatibility and is general for C alpha-primary, C alpha-secondary and C alpha-tertiary alkyl isonitriles.**+image