Photoredox/nickel dual-catalysis-enabled synthesis of N-heterocycles from alkyl chlorides and alkenes

A photoredox/nickel dual catalysis is presented for the construction of several kinds of useful nitrogen-containing heterocycles. This protocol is regioselective and features a broad substrate scope. It provides a direct access to nitrogen-containing heterocycles by reacting alkyl chlorides with readily available activated and unactivated alkenes. Moreover, this protocol can be easily scalable to a gram-scale, and it is feasible to use sunlight as the light source. Mechanistic studies suggest that the energy transfer pathway is involved in the catalytic process.