Synthesis of Acylhydroquinones through Visible-Light-Mediated Hydroacylation of Quinones with α-Keto Acids

A mild and eco-friendly visible-light-induced protocol for the hydroacylation of quinones with α-keto acids has been developed. In the absence of any catalyst or additive, the decarboxylative hydroacylation proceeded smoothly under visible-light irradiation at room temperature. A wide range of quinones and α-keto acids were well-tolerated and afforded hydroacylation products up to 88% isolated yield. The reaction can be scaled up, and the induced groups are useful for further synthetic applications. Preliminarily, mechanistic studies indicated that photoactive quinones absorb visible light to facilitate the transformation.