Photocatalytic One-Pot Synthesis of Homoallyl Ketones via a Norrish Type I Reaction of Cyclopentanones

A photocatalytic synthesis of homoallyl ketones was achieved via a one-pot procedure starting from a Norrish Type I reaction of cyclopentanones, followed by a decatungstate-catalyzed hydroacylation of electron-deficient olefins by the resulting 4-pentenals. The site-selective formyl H-abstraction in the second step can be explained by radical polar effects in the transition state

Photocatalyzed Site-Selective C–H to C–C Conversion of Aliphatic Nitriles

β- or γ-Site-selective C–H alkylation of aliphatic nitriles has been achieved using a decatungstate salt as the photocatalyst. The observed site selectivity was justified by a radical polar effect in transition states for hydrogen abstraction