Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2024, Vol. 56: 74-80.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64583-8

• Communications • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Photocatalytic carboxylation of styrenes with CO2 via C=C double bond cleavage

Ke-Gong Caoa,1, Tian-Yu Gaoa,1, Li-Li Liaob,*(), Chuan-Kun Rana, Yuan-Xu Jianga, Wei Zhangc, Qi Zhoua, Jian-Heng Yea, Yu Lanb,d, Da-Gang Yua,e,*()   

  1. aKey Laboratory of Green Chemistry & Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
    bChongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
    cWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
    dInstitute of Green Catalysis, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
    eState Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
  • Received:2023-12-10 Accepted:2023-12-13 Online:2024-01-18 Published:2024-01-10
  • Contact: *E-mail: liaoll@cqu.edu.cn (L.-L. Liao), dgyu@scu.edu.cn (D.-G. Yu).
  • About author:1Contributed equally to this work.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(22225106);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22201027);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22101191);Fundamental Research Funds from Sichuan University(2020SCUNL102);Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(2021M700578);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Abstract:

Catalytic cleavage of C=C double bonds in alkenes is highly important to convert feedstocks into high-value compounds. However, these approaches are mainly limited to oxidative cleavage of alkenes with excess oxidants and redox-neutral alkene metathesis. In contrast, reductive C=C double bond cleavage and functionalization have not been reported. Herein, we report a novel visible-light photoredox-catalyzed carboxylation of styrenes with CO2 via reductive C=C double bond cleavage. The use of dicyclohexylmethylamine as scission reagent is the key to the success. Different from previous homologation reactions with CO2, this protocol enabled exchange of the carbon of styrenes with CO2, affording important aryl acetic acids via C=C double bond cleavage. Moreover, preliminary mechanistic investigation and DFT calculations shed light on the reaction mechanism, disclosing aminomethyl-carboxylation intermediate, benzylic radicals and carbanions as key intermediates in the reaction.

Key words: Carbon dioxide, Visible-light photoredox catalysis, C=C bond cleavage, Carboxylation, Aryl acetic acids