Carbene and photocatalyst-catalyzed decarboxylative radical coupling of carboxylic acids and acyl imidazoles to form ketones

Abstract

The combination of carbene- and photocatalysis has enabled unorthodox routes to ketone syntheses, but usually requires engineered or activated substrates. Herein the authors present a carbene- and photocatalytic decarboxylative radical coupling of carboxylic acids and acyl imidazoles, in which the carboxylic acids are directly used as radical precursors.