Visible‐Light‐Induced Paternò‐Büchi Reaction of Anthraquinones for the Synthesis of Spirocyclic Oxetanes

Abstract Reported here is a general visible‐light‐induced Paternò‐Büchi reaction between anthraquinones and olefins lead to the formation of diverse anthraquinone‐based spirocyclic oxetanes which served as an important scaffold in natural drugs and products. This approach negates the need for UV light, thus overcome the synthetic limitations of the traditional Paternò‐Büchi reaction. Therefore, the method reported here is characterized by high regioselectivity, simple operations, mild conditions and broad scope.