Modular Synthesis of N-Heterocycle-Substituted α-Amino Esters

Rapid analogue generation is central to early-stage drug discovery, creating demand for synthetic methods that combine modularity, operational simplicity, and broad substrate compatibility. N-Heterocyclesubstituted α-amino carbonyls are poorly served in this respect, their synthesis largely depending on a narrow pool of commercially available α-halogenated carbonyls. Here we report a one-pot three-component platform that addresses this gap through a formal reductive 1,2-aminoalkylation of ynoates, combining phosphine-catalysed a-funαtionalisation with a photoredox-mediated decarboxylative Giese reaction. The method accommodates azoles, lactams and imides alongside diverse carboxylic acids and ynoates, enables late-stage diversification of pharmaceuticals, and is compatible with array-based library synthesis for rapid analogue generation.