Synthesis of 4-tert-butylpyridine from DHP and 4-cyanopyridine utilizing photo mediated redox processes

The generation of tertiary radicals via photo-mediated redox processes represents a significant advancement in the introduction of sp³ hybridized carbons, which are crucial in pharmaceutical research. Traditional methods for generating tertiary alkyl radicals often rely on an exogenous photocatalyst, which are typically precious-metal complexes, and current photocatalyst- free approaches often involve hazardous reagents and complex procedures, posing safety and reproducibility challenges. Inspired by our lab’s prior work, we present a safer and more efficient photocatalyst- free approach by utilizing 4-tert-alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) derivatives as tertiary radical precursors under visible light irradiation for sp³-sp² C-C coupling reactions.