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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Chiral Diaryliodonium Phosphate Enables Light Driven Diastereoselective α-C(sp3)-H Acetalization
Baihua Ye1, Jie Zhao1, Ke Zhao1
1Department of Chemistry , University of California , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States.
Abstract:
C(sp3)-H bond functionalization has emerged as a robust tool enabling rapid construction of molecular complexity from simple building blocks, and the development of asymmetric versions of this reaction creates a powerful methodology to access enantiopure sp3-rich materials. Herein, we report the stereoselective functionalization of C(sp3)-H bonds of cyclic ethers employing a photochemically active diaryliodonium salt in combination with an anionic phase-transfer catalyst. The synthetic strategy outlined herein allows for regio- and stereochemical control in the α-C-H acetalization of furans and pyrans using alcohol nucleophiles, thus providing the ability to control the configuration at the stereogenic exocyclic acetal carbon.
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