Difluoroalkyl Thiocyanidation of Alkenes Via Blue LED Light–Induced Intermolecular Three‐Component Coupling Reaction Catalyzed by Copper Nanoparticle‐Loaded Kaolin

Abstract

In this study, the catalyst Cu/NH₂‐Ph@CK was produced by modifying coal‐bearing kaolin (CK) with a silane coupling agent, followed by impregnation with copper chloride, and NaBH₄ reduction. The catalyst structure was characterized via x‐ray diffraction, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and N₂ adsorption–desorption experiments. The Cu nanoparticle (CuNP) content of Cu/NH₂‐Ph@CK was 2.7 wt.%, and the average particle size of the CuNPs was approximately 6.6 nm. Catalytic experiments revealed that Cu/NH₂‐Ph@CK exhibited high catalytic activity for the blue LED light‐induced three‐component coupling reaction with styrene, ethyl bromodifluoroacetate, and sodium thiocyanate. In addition, the catalyst could accommodate a wide range of substrates, achieving above moderate yields. Moreover, the catalyst could be recycled five times while maintaining good catalytic activity. This study proposes a simple and efficient method for synthesizing catalysts for three‐component coupling reactions.