Photoinduced iron-catalyzed reduction of nitroarenes for multicomponent synthesis of α-branched secondary amines

Herein, we report a visible-light-induced, iron-catalyzed protocol that achieves <i>in situ</i> reduction of nitroarenes to anilines, followed by alkane C-H activation <i>via</i> a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) pathway to furnish α-branched secondary amines under mild conditions. This one-pot, multicomponent strategy tolerates a wide range of nitroarenes, aldehydes, and alkanes, affording the desired products in good to excellent yields with broad functional group compatibility. Mechanistic investigations reveal that visible-light irradiation promotes efficient reduction of nitroarenes, while photoexcitation of Fe(III) species triggers LMCT to generate chlorine radicals, which engage in the subsequent three-component coupling.