Photoresponsive Aerobic Cross‐Dehydrogenative Coupling Reaction with Ammonium Iodide Catalyst

A photoresponsive aerobic cross‐dehydrogenative coupling reaction of N ‐substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines with nitroalkanes using an iodide salt catalyst under blue LED irradiation is developed, furnishing the CC bond coupling products in high yields. Mechanistic studies indicate that the iodide salt catalyst promotes the single‐electron transfer from the N ‐substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines to the nitroalkanes through the assembled tetrahydroisoquinoline–iodide salt complex to generate cation radicals of the tetrahydroisoquinolines under light irradiation.