Organic chemistry

Combinatorial chemistry

Optically active

Radical

Enantioselective synthesis

Catalysis

Chemistry

Chromophore

Phosphoric acid

Isoquinoline

Photosensitizer

Redox

Organic Letters

With a dual organocatalytic system involving a chiral phosphoric acid and a dicyanopyrazine-derived chromophore (DPZ) photosensitizer and under the irradiation with visible light, an enantioselective Minisci-type addition of α-amino acid-derived redox-active esters (RAEs) to isoquinolines has been developed. A variety of prochiral α-aminoalkyl radicals generated from RAEs were successfully introduced on isoquinolines, providing a range of valuable α-isoquinoline-substituted chiral secondary amines in high yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities.

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Addition of α-Aminoalkyl Radicals to Isoquinolines