Radical Deoxygenation of Alcohols via Visible Light Irradiation of a Titanium Porphyrin Catalyst

Abstract

Alcohols are ubiquitous motifs in organic molecules that can be employed as radical precursors, usually activated through a two-step process. In this work, we present the unique ability of a titanium porphyrin complex to directly deoxygenate alcohols without preactivation. The system generates the carbon-centered radical under mild reaction conditions and turns over the catalyst via photoexcitation with purple LEDs. To demonstrate its preliminary value, the radical intermediate can be utilized for Giese addition and nickel-mediated cross-coupling.