Organocatalyzed, Visible-Light Photoredox-Mediated, One-Pot Minisci Reaction Using Carboxylic Acids via N-(Acyloxy)phthalimides

An improved, one-pot Minisci reaction has been developed using visible light, an organic photocatalyst, and carboxylic acids as radical precursors via the intermediacy of in situ-generated N-(acyloxy)phthalimides. The conditions employed are mild, demonstrate a high degree of functional group tolerance, and do not require a large excess of the carboxylic acid reactant. As a result, this reaction can be applied to drug-like scaffolds and molecules with sensitive functional groups, enabling late-stage functionalization, which is of high interest to medicinal chemistry.