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Here we describe an unprecedented metal-free C(sp3)-H aroylation of amines via visible-light photoredox catalysis, which provides a straightforward route for the construction of a useful α-amino aryl ketone skeleton. Additionally, a number of selected products exhibit good biological activity for protecting PC12 cell damage, which shows that this skeleton has the potential to become a new neuroprotective agent. Finally, a series of mechanism experiments indicate that this transformation undergoes a photoredox catalytic radical-radical cross-coupling pathway.

Herein, we report a photoinduced dehydrogenation/(3+2) cycloaddition reaction by merging organic photoredox and Lewis acid catalysis, providing a straightforward and efficient approach for directly installing a benzofuran skeleton on the saturated aza-heterocycles. In this protocol, we also describe a novel organic photocatalyst (t-Bu-DCQ) with the advantages of a wider redox potential, easy synthesis, and a low price. Furthermore, the stepwise activation mechanism of dual C(sp3)-H bonds was demonstrated by a series of experimental and computational studies.

A method using aroyl chlorides as atom-transfer radical cyclization agents in a novel visible-light photocatalytic aroylchlorination reaction is developed. The overall transformation involves the formation of two new C-C bonds and one new C-Cl bond in a one-pot process. The advantages of this reaction include high atom/step/redox economy, mild conditions, operational simplicity, and broad substrate scopes.

A visible-light-promoted metal-free alkylheteroarylation of unactivated olefins was developed by using readily available ketones/esters as the alkyl radical source. With this strategy, both linear ...

A novel one-pot triple-reaction strategy for the asymmetric construction of polycyclic skeletons with multiple consecutive chiral centers through aza-Michael/Michael/Wittig/ketyl radical addition/esterification processes is reported. A wide range of polycyclic tetrahydroquinoline derivatives were smoothly obtained from easily available starting materials with good results (up to 80% yield, >20:1 dr, >99% ee) under mild conditions. In this transformation, five chemical bonds and five consecutive chiral centers were successively formed.

Herein, two bis(dicyanomethylene)-substituted quinoidal molecules QBDT and QTBDT-3H were designed and synthesized to explore the open-shell effect on tuning the charge transport behavior of organic...

A series of inexpensive, easily tunable, and highly reducing organic photocatalysts (PCs) that exhibit strong absorption in the visible region are described. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations were applied to corroborate the experimental observations and explain the relationship between the structure and property. The photocatalytic efficiency of these PCs was demonstrated by catalyzing several challenging reactions and the radical cascade cyclization of 1,6-diyne with superior photocatalytic efficiency to other organic photocatalysts.

A photocatalytic cascade cyclization of 1,7-enynes with acyl chlorides has been established. This method offers an operationally simple access to diverse fused pyran derivatives with a broad substrate scope in high yields from simple acyl chlorides via an acyl radical intermediate.

Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are associated with inappropriate activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, but suitable inhibitors against such improper activations remain scarce. Here, spirodalesol (1) from Daldinia eschscholzii was structurally characterized and is biosynthetically proposed as an NLRP3 inflammasome activation inhibitor with an unprecedented carbon skeleton.

A visible-light-promoted metal-free alkylheteroarylation of unactivated olefins was developed by using readily available ketones/esters as the alkyl radical source. With this strategy, both linear and cyclic ketones/esters could be conveniently converted to corresponding α-carbonyl alkyl radical species by using commonly found diacylperoxide (LPO) as the hydrogen atom transfer reagent, and heteroaryl-containing 1,7-carbonyl compounds were synthesized via distal heteroaryl ipso-migration in good to excellent yields with high functional group tolerance and a broad substrate scope. In addition, this approach was also amenable to C-H functionalization of acetonitrile, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, and chloroform.

A novel visible-light-induced aza-pinacol rearrangement was developed for the first time. In this approach, the addition of the N-centered radical to the C═C bond of alkylidenecyclopropanes delivers a variety of cyclobutanimines and γ-butyrolactones, with all-carbon quaternary centers via the ring expansion of the cyclopropyl group, in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions.

Two novel enediyne-derived natural products, amycolamycins A and B (1 and 2), were characterized from a locust-associated actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. HCa4. Amycolamycins A and B contain a unique 2-(cyclopenta[a]inden-5-yl)oxirane core with suspected enediyne polyketide biosynthetic origin. Sequencing and analysis of the acm biosynthetic gene cluster allowed us to propose the biosynthetic pathway of 1 and 2. Moreover, amycolamycin A (1) was selectively cytotoxic to the M231 breast cancer cell line.

Microbial constructions of secondary metabolites are generally biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC)-based, and the forging of different BGC-sourced intermediates tends to be overlooked. Here, we show that the dalesconol bioassembly lines in Daldinia eschscholzii can sequester guest intermediates (i.e., building blocks produced outside the dalesconol biosynthetic gene cluster) to form arrays of skeletally undescribed molecules such as (+)-dalescone A, a potent inhibitor against the NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Rapid photoresponse (1.0-8.0 min) through fluorescence "turn-on" signaling displayed by a novel Schiff base (L) creating "gate lock" via intramolecular C-H···N interaction in photoisomerized product (L') has been described. Coordination chemistry of pre- and postirradiated species demonstrated a drastic change in the reactivity which has been supported by NMR, HRMS, UV-vis, emission, electrochemical, and complexation studies.