Energy-Transfer-Enabled Regioconvergent Alkylation of Azlactones via Photocatalytic Radical–Radical Coupling

C-4-selective functionalization of azlactones provides access to α,α-disubstituted unnatural α-amino acids, which has been extensively investigated in the past decades. However, a vast majority of such transformations are two-electron transfer reactions. Herein, leveraging on the persistent radical effect, we develop photocatalytic energy transfer-enabled regioconvergent alkylation of azlactones with redox-active esters via radical–radical couplings. This strategy is extended to the utilization of simple alkanes as the radical precursors, whereby the aryl redox-active esters play a dual role of an oxidant and a hydrogen-atom-transfer agent. Notably, the excited state Ir(III) photocatalyst enables selective activation of the unwanted imine products through triplet energy transfer, delivering C-4-functionalized azlactones with high regioselectivity. Both experimental investigations and density functional theory calculations on the reaction mechanism were performed, supporting EnT-enabled regioconvergent photocatalytic radical–radical coupling reaction pathways.