Isonitriles as Alkyl Radical Precursors in Visible-Light Mediated Hydro– and Deuterodeamination Reactions

Herein, we report the use of isonitriles as alkyl radical precursors in light-mediated hydro- and deuterodeamination reactions. The reaction is scalable, shows broad functional group compatibility and potential to be used in late-stage functionalization. Importantly, the method is general for Cα-1º, Cα-2º and Cα-3º alkyl isonitriles. For most examples, high yields were obtained through direct visible-light irradiation of the isonitrile in the presence of a silyl radical precursor. Interestingly, in the presence of an organic photocatalyst (4CzIPN) a dramatic acceleration was observed. In depth mechanistic studies using UV-vis absorption, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence, and transient absorption spectroscopy suggest that the excited state of 4CzIPN is able to sensitize the isonitrile through a single electron transfer.