Enantioselective Cobaltaphotoredox-Catalyzed\nC–H\nActivation

The quest for sustainable strategies in molecular synthesis\nhas\nspurred the emergence of photocatalysis as a particularly powerful\ntechnique. In recent years, the application of photocatalysis in this\ncontext has greatly promoted the development of asymmetric catalysis.\nDespite the impressive advances, enantioselective photoinduced strong\narene C–H activations by cobalt catalysis remain unexplored.\nHerein, we report a strategy that merges organic photoredox catalysis\nand enantioselective cobalt-catalyzed C–H activation, enabling\nthe regio- and stereoselective dual functionalization of indoles in\nan enantioselective fashion. Thereby, the assembly of various chiral\nindolo[2,3-<i>c</i>]isoquinolin-5-ones was realized with\nhigh enantioselectivities of up to 99%. The robustness of the cobaltaphotoredox\ncatalysis was demonstrated through enantioselective C–H activation\nand annulations in a continuous flow to provide straightforward access\nto central and axially chiral molecules.