Cyanine-based near infra-red organic photoredox catalysis.

Direct metal-free near infra-red photoredox catalysis is applied to organic oxidation, photosensitization and reduction, involving cyanines as photocatalysts. This photocatalyst is competitive with conventional reactions catalyzed under visible light. Kinetic and quenching experiments are also reported. Interestingly, these systems are compatible with water media, opening perspective for various applications.

Polymeric Iodonium Salts to Trigger Free Radical Photopolymerization.

In a significant breakthrough from classical molecular (i.e., nonpolymeric) iodonium salts in light-induced photochemistry, the synthesis and use of new safer polymeric iodonium salts are reported here. They are shown to be involved in charge transfer complexes (CTCs) while in interaction with a safe amino acid derivative (N-phenylglycine). Also, this study demonstrates i) the formation of CTCs between the iodonium (acceptor) and an aryl/alkyl amine (donor) through UV-vis measurements of the monomer, ii) the formation of radicals in electron spin resonance spin trapping experiments when the CTCs are irradiated by visible light (405 nm), and iii) their efficiency as a photoinitiator to polymerize three different acrylic monomers under LED irradiation at 405 nm under air and their application to 3D resolved laser writing of thick samples (3 mm). High reactivity for polymeric iodonium salts comparable with molecular ones is exhibited with the advantage of potential lower migration. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported instance of polymeric iodonium salts acting as polymerization initiators.

1-Aryl-2-(triisopropylsilyl)ethane-1,2-diones: Toward a New Class of Visible Type I Photoinitiators for Free Radical Polymerization of Methacrylates.

1-Aryl-2-(triisopropylsilyl)ethane-1,2-diones (SEDs) are proposed here as a new class of visible Type I photoinitiators (PIs) for free radical polymerization under air upon exposure to blue (@455 nm) and green (@520 nm) LEDs. Remarkably, these new systems present good polymerization performances and excellent bleaching properties compared to camphorquinone-based systems, and transparent polymers are obtained upon visible light irradiation. Real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to monitor the polymerization profiles. Molecular orbital calculations are also carried out for a better understanding of the structure/reactivity relationship of the photoinitiators.

Palladium-Catalyzed ipso-Borylation of Aryl Sulfides with Diborons.

A catalytic Miyaura-type ipso-borylation of aryl sulfides with diboron reagents has been achieved, providing arylboronate esters of synthetic use. The key conditions to transform inherently reluctant C-S bonds into C-B bonds include a palladium-NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) precatalyst, bis(pinacolato)diboron, and lithium hexamethyldisilazide. This protocol is applicable to a reasonable range of aryl alkyl sulfides. Twofold borylation was observed in the reaction of diphenyl sulfide.

Pd-NHC-Catalyzed Alkynylation of General Aryl Sulfides with Alkynyl Grignard Reagents.

Cross-coupling reactions of unactivated aryl sulfides with alkynylmagnesium chloride have been invented to afford 1-aryl-1-alkynes with the aid of a palladium/N-heterocyclic carbene complex. This reaction has by far the widest scope of all transformations utilizing aryl sulfides and alkynes, while known cross-coupling alkynylations of aryl-sulfur electrophiles require activated azaaryl sulfides, thiolactams, or arenesulfonyl chlorides. The alkynylation of aryl sulfides is compatible with typical protecting functional groups. The alkynylation is applied to the synthesis of benzofuran-based fluorescent molecules by taking advantage of characteristic organosulfur chemistry.