Enantioselective Decarboxylative Cyanation Employing Cooperative Photoredox Catalysis and Copper Catalysis

The merger of photoredox catalysis with asymmetric copper catalysis have been realized to convert achiral carboxylic acids into enantiomerically enriched alkyl nitriles. Under mild reaction conditions, the reaction exhibits broad substrate scope, high yields and high enantioselectivities. Furthermore, the reaction can be scaled up to synthesize key chiral intermediates to bioactive compounds.