Photocatalytic synthesis of arylacetic acid via C=C double bond cleavage with carbon dioxide

March 18, 2024

Alkenes represent one of the most abundant classes of organic molecules, which are available in bulk quantities from petroleum and renewable resources, with various utilization in agrochemistry, pharmacy, and organic materials. Typically, the transformation of alkenes by cleavage of both the σ bond and π bond underpins a range of industrial processes and provides methods for the reconstruction of hydrocarbon framework.

Oxidative cleavage is undoubtedly the most common type of scissions of alkene C=C bonds, providing a practical synthetic route to oxygen-enriched compounds. Besides, alkene metathesis represents an alternative method that involves cleavage of alkene C=C bonds and their reformation, resulting in a statistical redistribution of alkylidene fragments under redox-neutral conditions.

A range of aryl olefins with various substitutions can undergo carboxylation with CO₂, leading to the efficient and selective construction of a series of arylacetic acid analogs with diverse functional groups.