Combined Photoredox and Carbene Catalysis for the Synthesis of α-Amino Ketones from Carboxylic Acids

α-Amino ketone moieties are present in many pharmacologically active molecules, but their synthesis is challenging. Herein, we report a mild, operationally simple method for direct acylation of α-amino C(sp3)–H bonds from carboxylic acids via the merger of carbene and photoredox catalysis. Specifically, cross-coupling reactions between a wide range of carboxylic acids, a class of feedstock chemicals, and readily available N-alkyl anilines by means of single-electron N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis combined with photocatalysis provided access to structurally diverse α-amino ketones. The method features a broad substrate scope and is compatible with a wide array of functional groups. To demonstrate the potential applications of the method, we subjected one of the α-amino ketone products to further transformations.