Nitroacenaphthene as a New Photocatalyst for the Synthesis of Sulfonyl Amidines

A small molecule, namely nitroacenaphthene, is reported for the first time as a recyclable visible-light photocatalyst for the construction of the C=N bond from sulfonyl azides and amines. This scalable, site-selective protocol provides a convenient way to access various sulfonyl amidines under mild conditions. Two reaction pathways are proposed, according to different transformation patterns.