Photoinduced α‐Aminoalkylation of Sulfonylarenes with Alkylamines

Abstract α‐Aminoalkylation of sulfonylarenes with alkylamines was found to be induced by photoirradiation. Here various types of alkylamines, such as trialkylamines, dialkylamines, N , N ‐dialkylanilines and N ‐alkylanilines as well as sulfonylarenes containing an azole, azine, heterole or benzene ring are available. The reaction proceeds through a homolytic aromatic substitution (HAS) process consisting of addition of an α‐aminoalkyl radical to a sulfonylarene and elimination of the sulfonyl radical to give the α‐arylalkylamine, where photoirradiation is considered to induce homolysis of sulfonylarenes leading to the generation of α‐aminoalkyl radicals that make a radical chain operative.