Visible-Light-Driven Iron-Catalyzed Decarboxylative C–N Coupling Reaction of Alkyl Carboxylic Acids with NaNO2

An efficient visible-light-driven iron-catalyzed decarboxylative C–N coupling reaction of alkyl carboxylic acids with NaNO2 under mild conditions was developed. The reaction proceeds under photosensitizer-free conditions and features good to excellent yields, broad functional group tolerance, and an easy operation procedure. Preliminary mechanistic investigations showed that visible-light-driven iron catalysis not only achieved oxidative decarboxylation of alkyl carboxylic acids to alkyl radicals but also promoted the reduction of NO2– to NO, thus leading to the C–N radical coupling reaction.