Reductive Radical-Polar Crossover Enabled Carboxylative Alkylation of Aryl Thianthrenium Salts with CO2 and Styrenes

Carboxylic functionalities are among the pivotal groups in bioactive molecules and in the synthesis of new lead compounds because of their unique character in the formation of hydrogen bonds and the possibility of constructing molecular complexes via amide couplings. We adopt the reductive radical-polar crossover strategy to introduce carboxyalkyl groups into arenes with styrenes and CO2 via thianthrenium salts. This protocol exhibits excellent potential as a straightforward and modular platform for site-selective carboxylative derivation of bioactive molecules.