The photoredox-mediated coupling of benzylic ethers with Schiff bases has been accomplished. Direct benzylic C-H activation by a combination of a thiol catalyst with an iridium photocatalyst and subsequent radical-radical coupling with secondary aldimines affords a variety of β-amino ether products in good to excellent yields. Mechanistic studies suggest that a reductive quenching pathway of the photocatalyst is operable.
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Hager et al. (2014) studied this question.