Homologation of alkyl thiocyanates through photochemical group transfer radical addition (GTRA)

Abstract

Herein, a set of alkyl thiocyanates was explored as reagents for group transfer radical addition (GTRA) to alkenes, which eventually resulted in their homologation under mild conditions. The photo-induced C–S bond cleavage is hereby taken advantage of, serving as a means of inserting –SCN and diverse alkyl groups onto alkenes to create a library of small molecules infused with thiocyanate functionality.