Visible-Light-Promoted Decarboxylative Alkylation via Single-Component N,C,Se-Pincer N-Heterocyclic Carbene Palladium Photocatalysis

Visible-light-driven decarboxylative alkylation faces challenges from the inertness of Pd-catalyzed oxidative addition of unactivated alkyl halides and the complexity of dual photoredox/metal systems. In this study, we present the first utilization of unsymmetrical N,C,Se-pincer NHC-Pd(II) complexes as single-component photocatalysts for the coupling of arylacrylic acids with unactivated alkyl bromides under blue light. The reaction is conducted at room temperature with catalyst loading of 0.5 mol%, delivering a wide range of alkenylalkane products in yields ranging from 31% to 88%, exhibiting excellent tolerance to halogens and unprotected phenols. Control studies have revealed that the selenoether donor stabilizes active Pd species and enables a radical-mediated pathway. This work extends the utility of N,C,Se-pincer Pd catalysts to reductive C−C coupling and provides a practical platform for biomass valorization.