Nitrogen‐doped Carbon Dots as Biobased Catalysts for Visible Light Driven 1,2‐Functionalization of Olefins through an Atom Transfer Radical Addition Process

Abstract Amorphous nitrogen‐doped carbon dots (a‐N‐CDs) have been obtained under hydrothermal conditions from citric acid and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the carbon and nitrogen source, respectively. Such materials exhibit a significant absorption in the visible light region and have been successfully employed as photoredox catalyst under violet LED irradiation for the 1,2‐difunctionalization of olefins via an atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) process. The reported approach occurs smoothly under metal‐free conditions in an aqueous medium, showcasing the (yet not completely explored) applications of such bio‐derived carbon materials in organic synthesis.