Photoredox radical annulation of aroyl sulfoxonium ylides and alkynes for 1-naphthol assembly

Abstract

The [4+2] cycloaddition of sulfoxonium ylides with alkynes provides direct access to valuable 1-naphthol derivatives. To overcome the reliance of traditional methods on transition-metal catalysts and harsh conditions, we report a novel and mild photoredox-catalyzed [4+2] annulation reaction. This strategy enables efficient and rapid construction of diverse naphthol scaffolds with excellent chemo- and regioselectivity. Beyond classical ionic pathways, the unique radical reactivity of sulfoxonium ylides opens new avenues for their application in synthesizing a wide range of heterocycles.