Enantioselective reduction of azaarene-based ketones via visible light-driven photoredox asymmetric catalysis

Chem Commun (Camb). 2019 Jul 4;55(52):7534-7537. doi: 10.1039/c9cc03661j. Epub 2019 Jun 12.

Abstract

An enantioselective reduction of azaarene-based ketones through photoredox asymmetric catalysis is reported. With a transition metal-free dual catalytic system including a chiral phosphoric acid and a photosensitizer DPZ mediated by visible light, the transformations involved a tandem process involving double single-electron-transfer reductions and enantioselective protonation, providing valuable chiral alcohols in high yields (up to >99%) with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).