Visible-Light Photocatalytic Barbier-Type Reaction of Aziridines and Azetidines with Nonactivated Aldehydes

Abstract Barbier-type reactions are a classic group of reactions for carbon–carbon bond formation; however, their common use of stoichiometric metals restricts their widespread application. Considering the ready availability and diversity of cyclic amines, we report a visible-light photocatalytic Barbier-type reaction of aziridines and azetidines with nonactivated aldehydes. A series of important γ- and δ-amino alcohols were synthesized in the presence of amines as electron donors. Moreover, this transition-metal-free protocol displays mild reaction conditions, broad functional-group tolerance, and a wide substrate scope. Mechanistic investigations indicated that carbon radicals and carbanions might be generated as key intermediates.