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Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides
Published on: May 26, 2019
Metal-Free Addition of Alkyl Bromides to Access 3,3-Disubstituted Quinoxalinones Enabled by Visible-Light Photoredox
Jennie Liao1, David N Hunter2, Ugochinyere Nancy Oloyede2
1Process Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States.
Abstract:
A metal-free addition of unactivated alkyl bromides to quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones is described. This method enables the construction of valuable 3,3-disubstituted dihydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-ones bearing quaternary carbon centers under mild, visible-light photoredox catalysis. High functional group tolerance is observed in both the quinoxalinone and alkyl bromide partners. The ability to scale up this method was demonstrated under photo-flow conditions to enable gram-scale synthesis.
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