Photocatalyst-free hypervalent iodine reagent catalyzed decarboxylative acylarylation of acrylamides with α-oxocarboxylic acids driven by visible-light irradiation

A hypervalent iodine(iii) reagent catalyzed carbonylarylation of acrylamides with α-oxocarboxylic acids driven by visible-light without a photoredox catalyst has been developed. The reactions generate the corresponding products in good yields at room temperature. Experiments indicate that a blue LED (450-455 nm) is the most effective energy for the cleavage of the oxygen-iodine bond to initiate the reaction. Mechanistic studies further demonstrate that the reaction undergoes a cascade decarboxylative radical addition/cyclization process along with releasing CO2 and H2.