Radical α-C–H Alkylation and Heteroarylation of Benzyl Anilines Enabled by Organic Photoredox Catalysis

A photocatalysis-involved α-amino radical provides an appealing approach for rapid construction of complex amine architectures. Reported herein is an organophotoredox catalytic approach to α-C–H alkylation and heteroarylation of benzyl anilines, which enables the introduction of valuable trifluoromethyl alcohol, chromanone, or pyridine motifs at the α position of amines. This protocol highlights metal-free, step and atom economies and broad substrate scopes (>80 examples). Control experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy identified the α-amino radical derived from the α-amino C–H bond.