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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy
Published on: November 9, 2019
Visible-Light-Induced Comprehensive Carboxylation of Benzyl Halides with CO2 via Halogen Atom Transfer
Taito Watanabe1, Tomoha Kagawa1, Yutaka Saga1,2
1Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Osaka, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
None:
Conventional photocatalytic methods for the carboxylation of benzyl halides with CO2 are typically limited to specific halides. Herein, we report a general visible-light-driven protocol using a tertiary amine-mediated halogen atom transfer strategy. This approach is the first system applicable to all benzyl halides, including unreactive fluorides and highly reactive iodides. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions with good functional group tolerance, providing a general route to valuable arylacetic acids from diverse feedstocks.
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