According to the Grotthuss–Draper law, light must be absorbed by a substrate to initiate a photoreaction. There have been several reports, however, on the promotion of photoreactions using hypervalent iodine during irradiation with light from a non‐absorbing region. This contradiction gave rise to a mystery regarding photoreactions involving hypervalent iodine. We demonstrated that the photoactivation of hypervalent iodine with light from the apparently non‐absorbing region proceeds via a direct S0→Tn transition, which has been considered a forbidden process. Spectroscopic, computational, and synthetic experimental results support this conclusion. Moreover, the photoactivation mode could be extended to monovalent iodine and bromine, as well as bismuth(III)‐containing molecules, providing new possibilities for studying photoreactions that involve heavy‐atom‐containing molecules.

Hypervalent iodines are widely used in organic chemistry, and their most important feature is the three‐center four‐electron bond. However, there have been few reports on the measurement of their bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE). Therefore, in many cases, BDE is estimated by computational calculations. However, the value of a calculated BDE usually varies depending on the choice of functional and basis set, and the best method for making an accurate evaluation of the three‐center four‐electron bond has not been determined. We succeeded in determining the best functional and basis set to calculate the three‐center four‐electron bond to within 0.79% error and 0.53 standard deviation. Using the optimal functional and basis set, the first and second BDEs of several hypervalent iodines are calculated, and as the effect of benzene substituents was investigated, negative correlation was observed in the Hammett plot. In addition, the effect of ortho‐substituent in cyclic hypervalent iodine was found to be significant. Furthermore, the decomposition route of hypervalent iodine is calculated. The value of a calculated BDE usually varies depending on the choice of functional and basis set. We succeeded in determining the best functional and basis sets to calculate the three‐center four‐electron bond of hypervalent iodine to within 0.79% error and 0.53 standard deviation. Using the optimal functional and basis sets, the first and second BDEs of several hypervalent iodines are calculated, and additionally, the decomposition route of hypervalent iodine is calculated.

A total synthesis of (±)-lundurine B was accomplished. A combination of stereoselective intramolecular cyclopropane formation and aryl amination furnished cyclopropane-fused indoline stereoselectively. Ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of siloxy diene and intramolecular aminoacetal formation followed by bridgehead vinylation of an anti-Bredt iminium cation led to the construction of six- and seven-membered rings with a quaternary carbon center. After the formation of dihydropyrrole by RCM, the Boc-protecting group of indoline was converted into the corresponding methyl carbamate via silyl carbamate to complete the total synthesis of (±)-lundurine B. The characteristic rearrangement of the cyclopropane-fused indoline skeleton is also described.

A total synthesis of (±)-lundurines A and B is described. These natural products have a unique hexacyclic skeleton which includes a cyclopropane-fused indoline. A stereospecific construction of the pentasubstituted cyclopropane core was achieved, by radical cyclization using SmI2, with perfect stereoselectivity. Cyclizations to give seven- and five-membered heterocycles, under palladium and ruthenium catalysis, respectively, accomplished the total syntheses. The late-stage construction of the F ring by ring-closing metathesis enabled access to the title compounds from a spiroindoline intermediate which is a common structure of other kopsia alkaloids.

Benzophenone has an S 0 → S 1 absorption band at 365 nm. However, the rarely reported S 0 → T n transition occurs upon irradiation at longer wavelengths. Herein, we employed benzophenone as a catalyst and exploited its S 0 → T n transition in C(sp 3 )−H alkynylations with hypervalent iodine reagents. The selective benzophenone excitation prevented alkynylating reagent decomposition, enabling the reaction to proceed under mild conditions. The reaction mechanism was investigated by spectroscopic and computational studies.