Thiophenol-Catalyzed Visible-Light Photoredox Decarboxylative Couplings of N-(Acetoxy)phthalimides

We have developed visible-light photoredox decarboxylative couplings of N-(acetoxy)phthalimides without an added photocatalyst in which simple and commercially available thiophenols are used as the effective organocatalysts, and 4-(trifluoromethyl)thiophenol shows optimal catalytic activity. Three representative decarboxylative examples were chosen including one amination and two C–C bond couplings to confirm efficacy of the visible-light photoredox reactions, and the results exhibited that they performed very well at room temperature. The interesting discovery should provide a novel and environmentally friendly strategy for visible-light photoredox transformation of organic molecules.