We introduce here
a two-component annulation strategy that provides
access to a diverse collection of five- and six-membered saturated
heterocycles from aryl alkenes and a family of redox-active radical
precursors bearing tethered nucleophiles. This transformation is mediated
by a combination of an Ir(III) photocatalyst and a Brønsted acid
under visible-light irradiation. A reductive proton-coupled electron
transfer generates a reactive radical which undergoes addition to
an alkene. Then, an oxidative radical-polar crossover step leading
to carbocation formation is followed by ring closure through cyclization
of the tethered nucleophile. A wide range of heterocycles are easily
accessible, including pyrrolidines, piperidines, tetrahydrofurans,
morpholines, δ-valerolactones, and dioxanones. We demonstrate
the scope of this approach through broad structural variation of both
reaction components. This method is amenable to gram-scale preparation
and to complex fragment coupling.