A new photoredox-catalyzed cascade reaction is described to access fluorinated pyrrolo[1,2-d]benzodiazepine derivatives under mild conditions. In this process, single electron transfer (SET) between the excited state photocatalyst fac-Ir(ppy) 3 and ethyl bromodifluoroacetate initiated the regioselective radical addition to a wide range of 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl) anilines or indol-substituted anilines, followed by another SET process and intramolecular amidation.

An NH 4 I-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction of ethers with imidazopyridine cascade cyclization under transition-metal-free conditions has been developed. Cheap, commercially available ethers were used as both reagents and solvents, and green aqueous H 2 O 2 was used as an oxidizing agent. A series of substituents on 2-(2aminoaryl) imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines were tolerated, and the reaction gave quinoline-fused imidazopyridines in moderate to good yields.