Decoupled EDA Activation of Aryl Halides Enables Metal‐Free C–H Arylation of Pyrroles

ABSTRACT Electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes have emerged as a powerful platform for photocatalyst‐free, visible‐light‐driven radical‐based synthesis. However, existing strategies are typically limited by binary activation modes in which the electron donor also serves as the nucleophilic coupling partner, restricting synthetic modularity. Here we report a decoupled EDA strategy in which N,N‐dimethylaniline (DMA) acts as a dedicated electron donor, forming a photoactive charge‐transfer complex with electron‐deficient (hetero)aryl halides under visible‐light irradiation. Photoinduced single‐electron transfer promotes C─X bond fragmentation to generate aryl radicals that are intercepted by independently chosen coupling partners, enabling C–H arylation of pyrroles. The method is applicable to aryl bromides, iodides, and activated aryl chlorides, and extends to borylation and hydrodehalogenation by simple variation of the radical trap. These results demonstrate that decoupled EDA activation provides a modular platform for metal‐free C─C bond formation from aryl halides.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Chemistry - A European Journal
Published
2026-09-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.71660
Primary Topic
Radical Photochemical Reactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
article

Decoupled EDA Activation of Aryl Halides Enables Metal‐Free C–H Arylation of Pyrroles

Graham de Ruiter, Ashutosh Mishra, Sakthi Raje, Priya Mata
Chemistry - A European Journal
Radical Photochemical Reactions
article

Decoupled EDA Activation of Aryl Halides Enables Metal‐Free C–H Arylation of Pyrroles

Graham de Ruiter, Ashutosh Mishra, Sakthi Raje, Priya Mata
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes have emerged as a powerful platform for photocatalyst‐free, visible‐light‐driven radical‐based synthesis. However, existing strategies are typically limited by binary activation modes in which the electron donor also serves as the nucleophilic coupling partner, restricting synthetic modularity. Here we report a decoupled EDA strategy in which N,N‐dimethylaniline (DMA) acts as a dedicated electron donor, forming a photoactive charge‐transfer complex with electron‐deficient (hetero)aryl halides under visible‐light irradiation. Photoinduced single‐electron transfer promotes C─X bond fragmentation to generate aryl radicals that are intercepted by independently chosen coupling partners, enabling C–H arylation of pyrroles. The method is applicable to aryl bromides, iodides, and activated aryl chlorides, and extends to borylation and hydrodehalogenation by simple variation of the radical trap. These results demonstrate that decoupled EDA activation provides a modular platform for metal‐free C─C bond formation from aryl halides.

Chemistry - A European Journal
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (IL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 20%
Radical Photochemical Reactions
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Decoupled EDA Activation of Aryl Halides Enables Metal‐Free C–H Arylation of Pyrroles — Graham de Ruiter, Ashutosh Mishra, et al. · Chemistry - A European Journal (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS