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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst
Published on: April 22, 2016
A visible-light mediated three-component radical process using dithiocarbamate anion catalysis
Sara Cuadros1, Matthew A Horwitz1, Bertrand Schweitzer-Chaput1
1ICIQ - Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Avenida Països Catalans 16 , 43007 , Tarragona , Spain . Email: pmelchiorre@iciq.es ; http://www.iciq.org/research/research_group/prof-paolo-melchiorre/.
Abstract:
We report a photoinduced three-component radical process, which couples readily available alkyl chlorides, maleimides, and heteroaromatic fragments to rapidly generate complex chiral products with high diastereocontrol. This method generates radicals via an SN2-based photochemical catalytic mechanism, which is not reliant on the redox properties of the precursors. It therefore grants access to open-shell intermediates from substrates that would be incompatible with or inert to classical radical-generating strategies. The redox-neutral conditions of this process make it tolerant of redox-sensitive substrates and allow the installation of multiple biologically relevant heterocycles within the cascade products.
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