Enantioselective dearomative ortho-cycloaddition transformation of unactivated arenes by cage-confined visible-light photocatalysis

Abstract Photoinduced dearomatization of arenes is a powerful strategy in organic synthesis to disrupt the stable aromaticity; however, the asymmetric dearomatization photocatalysis of unactivated arenes remains highly challenging and rare. Herein we demonstrate an enzyme-mimicking cage-confined vis...

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Main Authors: Jie Yang, Zhongshu Li, Xiantao Wu, Jie Chen, Sisi Huang, Yu-Lin Lu, Zhiwei Jiao, Cheng-Yong Su
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59176-5
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Summary:Abstract Photoinduced dearomatization of arenes is a powerful strategy in organic synthesis to disrupt the stable aromaticity; however, the asymmetric dearomatization photocatalysis of unactivated arenes remains highly challenging and rare. Herein we demonstrate an enzyme-mimicking cage-confined visible-light asymmetric photocatalysis method for intramolecular dearomative cycloaddition with electron-deficient β-aryl enones. Owing to the multi-functional synergy of chirality, energy transfer, and host-guest interactions in the confined microenvironments, the self-assembled chiral cage-photoreactor could pre-organize the arenes and activate the β-aryl enones to give stereoselectively fused cyclobutanes through visible-light induced [2 + 2] ortho-cycloaddition. Notably, the competing transformation to stable [4 + 2] cycloadducts has been inhibited, producing thermodynamically unfavorable [2 + 2] cycloadducts with excellent regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities.
ISSN:2041-1723