AUTHOR=Ding Yan , Yu Shengjiao , Ren Man , Lu Ji , Fu Qiang , Zhang Zhijie , Wang Qin , Bai Jun , Hao Na , Yang Lin , Wei Siping , Yi Dong , Wei Jun 

TITLE=Redox-neutral and metal-free synthesis of 3-(arylmethyl)chroman-4-ones via visible-light-driven alkene acylarylation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2022.1059792

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2022.1059792

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>A metal- and aldehyde-free visible-light-driven photoredox-neutral alkene acylarylation with readily available cyanoarenes is described. A variety of 3-(arylmethyl)chroman-4-ones (i.e., homoisoflavonoids) and analogs are efficiently synthesized with good functional group tolerance. This mild protocol relies on a phosphoranyl radical-mediated acyl radical-initiated cyclization and selective radical-radical coupling sequence, and is also further highlighted by subsequent derivatization to chromone and 2<italic>H</italic>-chromene as well as its application in the three-component alkene acylarylation.</p>