Photoinduced Palladium-Catalyzed 1,2-Aminoalkylation of Aromatic Alkenes with Hydroxyl as the Directing Group

The hybrid nature of Pd(I)-alkyl radical species has enabled a wide array of radical-based transformations. However, in this transformation, the secondary Pd(I)-alkyl radical species are prone to recombining into Pd(II)-alkyl species to give Heck-type products via β-H loss. Herein, we report a visible-light-induced, three-component Pd-catalyzed 1,2-aminoalkylation of alkenes with readily available alkyl halides and amines to construct C–C and C–N bonds simultaneously. Mechanistic investigation shows that the intermediate of o-quinone methide produced is the key factor in the transformation.