Activation of inert C(sp 3 )H bonds is of great importance in organic synthesis, since it can functionalize unreactive molecules, such as alkanes. In this work, we present the use of manganese chloride, an earth abundant and cheap metal chloride, for the photochemical CH functionalization of alkanes, without the need for the use of polyaromatic ligands. Mechanistic studies supplement the developed methodology to provide a complete insight into the mechanism of action of this—unexplored in organic photocatalysis—metal chloride.
Stini et al. (Mon,) studied this question.