Visible Light-Assisted Ring-Opening of Cyclic Ethers with Carboxylic Acids Mediated by Triphenylphosphine and N-Halosuccinimides

Abstract

The ring-opening of cyclic ethers (epoxide, oxetane, THF, and THP) by carboxylic acids was achieved by using Niodosuccinimide (NIS) or N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and triphenylphosphine under blue light. The corresponding ωhaloalkyl carboxylates were obtained under mild reaction conditions. The reaction is believed to work through a halogen bond complex between NIS (or NBS) and triphenylphosphine, which, upon irradiation with blue light, produces the key phosphine radical cation intermediate that initiates the ring-opening reactions.