Photochemical palladium-catalyzed methylation and alkylation reactions in cascade reactions of isonitriles

Photochemistry of palladium catalysis has been proved as an efficient strategy for cross coupling and multifunctionalization reaction of olefins via alkyl radicals. Herein, we demonstrate that isonitriles can serve as radical acceptors, which engage in a further radical cascade cyclization to furnish phenanthridine derivatives. We have also extended this photocatalytic process to cascade methylation reaction in one-pot with TMSCH 2 I as the radical precursor. Further experimental and computational studies indicate an intramolecular single electron transfer process to obtain alkyl radicals is involved in this transformation.