Arylcyanation of Styrenes by Photoactive Electron Donor-Acceptor Complexes/Copper Catalysis

A novel electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex/copper catalysis model has been proposed for the construction of 2,3-diarylpropionitriles under visible light conditions. The developed protocol proceeds via intermolecular charge transfer between the photoactive EDA complex of dibutamine (DBA), aryl thianthrenium salts, and trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN), followed by a copper catalytic cycle. UV-vis absorption measurements confirm the participation of EDA complexes as reactive intermediates. This three-component process proceeds smoothly in the presence of pharmaceutically relevant core structures and sensitive functional groups, which offers the possibility of the precise editing of drug molecules with important scaffolds.