Quinoline Hydroxyalkylations from Iron-Catalyzed, Visible-Light-Driven Decarboxylations

One of the current challenges in organic synthesis is the direct alkylation of heterocyclic systems with a minimal impact on the environment. In this report, 4-substituted hydroxyalkyl quinolines were obtained by treating quinoline with different alkyl carboxylic acids in the presence of catalytic amounts of an iron (III) chloride–phenanthroline complex. The reaction was mediated by blue LED light under acidic conditions as a cleaner alternative to conventional heating, reducing the use of harmful substances.