Functionalized spirolactones by photoinduced dearomatization of biaryl compounds

either aerobic photocatalysis or anaerobic photooxidation to tolerate specific synthetic conditions. In both pathways, dearomatization is induced by electrophilic attack of the carboxyl radical. The resulting spirodiene radical is captured by either oxygen or water in aerobic and anaerobic systems, respectively, to generate the spirodienone. These methods represent novel routes to synthesize spirolactones from the biaryl motif.