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Updated: May 30, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Visible Light-Mediated Decarboxylative Giese Addition Utilizing Thioxanthone or Thioxanthone-TfOH Complex as the
Charikleia S Batsika1, Naya A Stini1, Christoforos G Kokotos1
1Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian Un, iversity of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, 15771, Greece.
Abstract:
Synthetic photochemistry is an alternative, green and sustainable approach in organic synthesis, offering the possibility for the discovery of novel reactivities. Carboxylic acids are abundant and widely used as suitable radical precursors for light-mediated processes, providing access to products that are not accessible via conventional methods. Herein, we report a green, cheap, metal-free, photochemical decarboxylative protocol for the 1,4-radical conjugate addition (Giese reaction) using thioxanthone, a commercially available organic molecule, or a thioxanthone-triflic acid (TfOH) complex, as the photocatalyst, under LED 427 nm irradiation. A wide range of carboxylic acids, amino acids and Michael acceptors has been tested, affording the desired products in good to high yields.
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