A broadly applicable copper catalyst for photoredox transformations of organic halides is reported. Upon visible light irradiation in the presence of catalytic amounts of [(DPEphos)(bcp)Cu]PF6 and an amine, a range of unactivated aryl and alkyl halides were shown to be smoothly activated through a rare Cu(I)/Cu(I)*/Cu(0) catalytic cycle. This complex efficiently catalyzes a series of radical processes, including reductions, cyclizations, and direct arylation of arenes.
1 September 1997 in Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology