A general platform for phosphorylation reactions enabled by photoinduced palladium catalysis

Abstract

Carbon–phosphorus bond formation is of great importance in synthetic chemistry. A versatile strategy for the formation of carbon–phosphorus bonds involves the addition of phosphorus radicals to π-systems. However, the generation methods of phosphorus radicals are primarily restricted to homolytic cleavage of phosphorus–hydrogen bonds with excess peroxides or toxic metal salts as oxidants. Herein, we introduce a photoinduced palladium-catalyzed generation of phosphorus radicals using inexpensive and readily available Cl–phosphine oxides and Cl–phosphates as the phosphorus radical precursors. The key step for this strategy lies in the reductive activation of phosphorus–chloride bonds with the excited palladium complex under visible light irradiation. The involvement of phosphorus radicals has been evidenced by EPR spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments. Based on this strategy, both phosphinyl and phosphonyl groups could be regiospecifically incorporated into simple alkenes and heteroaromatic compounds via radical mediated carbon–phosphorus bond formation. Besides, carbon–phosphorus difunctionalization of alkenes was also achieved to afford phosphorylated oxindoles.