Organo-catalyzed photoelectrochemical ring-contraction of arylidenecyclobutanols <i>via</i> radical cation-triggered semipinacol rearrangement

The semipinacol rearrangement has proven to be an efficient strategy for converting allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds bearing an α-quaternary carbon center. Traditionally, this semipinacol rearrangement is initiated through two primary modes, namely electrophile and radical-triggered pathways. Notably, these two strategies predominantly lead to ring-expansion β-functionalized products from cyclic allylic alcohols. In contrast, the radical cation, possessing carbon-centered radical and electrophilic carbocation dual reactivity, potentially triggers ring contraction semipinacol rearrangement of cyclic allylic alcohols, but remains underexplored. This is presumably due to the favorable C-C bond cleavage facilitated by ring-strain release and the challenge associated with overcoming the energy barriers required for ring-contraction. Herein, we report the first photoelectrochemical alkene radical cation-triggered semipinacol rearrangement for the ring-contraction of arylidenecyclobutanols. This methodology enables access to diverse and valuable 1,1-cyclopropane formylketones and diketones under mild and environmentally benign conditions. The resulting products not only contain the cyclopropane motif, which is present in many pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules, but also serve as useful synthetic intermediates for the preparation of various derivatives, including the key intermediate of cabozantinib.