Visible-Light-Driven Iron-Catalyzed Decarboxylative C-N Coupling Reaction of Alkyl Carboxylic Acids with NaNO.

An efficient visible-light-driven iron-catalyzed decarboxylative C-N coupling reaction of alkyl carboxylic acids with NaNO under mild conditions was developed. The reaction proceeds under photosensitizer-free conditions and features good to excellent yields, broad functional group tolerance, and an easy operation procedure. Preliminary mechanistic investigations showed that visible-light-driven iron catalysis not only achieved oxidative decarboxylation of alkyl carboxylic acids to alkyl radicals but also promoted the reduction of NO to NO, thus leading to the C-N radical coupling reaction.