Photocatalytic Decarboxylative Coupling of Arylacetic Acids with Aromatic Aldehydes

An efficient protocol was proposed for the preparation of secondary alcohols in good to excellent yields via photoredox-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings between readily available arylacetic acids and a variety of less reactive (hetero)aromatic aldehydes. The formation of carbanion is the key intermediate in this reaction. Various substituted arylacetic acids and aldehydes were all compatible with this transformation under mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the current protocol was successfully applied to the direct alcoholization of several drug acids.