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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Inactivation of Pathogens via Visible-Light Photolysis of Riboflavin-5′-Phosphate
Published on: April 6, 2022
C(sp3 )-H Cyanation Promoted by Visible-Light Photoredox/Phosphate Hybrid Catalysis
Takayuki Wakaki1, Kentaro Sakai1, Takafumi Enomoto2
1Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
Abstract:
Inspired by the reaction mechanism of photo-induced DNA cleavage in nature, a C(sp3 )-H cyanation reaction promoted by visible-light photoredox/phosphate hybrid catalysis was developed. Phosphate radicals, generated by one-electron photooxidation of phosphate salt, functioned as a hydrogen-atom-transfer catalyst to produce nucleophilic carbon radicals from C(sp3 )-H bonds with a high bond-dissociation energy. The resulting carbon radicals were trapped by a cyano radical source (TsCN) to produce the C-H cyanation products. Due to the high functional-group tolerance and versatility of the cyano group, the reaction will be useful for realizing streamlined building block syntheses and late-stage functionalization of drug-like molecules.
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