Citation: Jingyan Liu, Wanting Liang, Changfeng Wan, Jie-Ping Wan. Photocatalytic free radical geminal carboamination of α-diazo esters toward chromone-derived α-amino acids[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(5): 112202. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.112202 shu

Photocatalytic free radical geminal carboamination of α-diazo esters toward chromone-derived α-amino acids

Jingyan Liu ^a ,
Wanting Liang ^a ,
Changfeng Wan ^a ,
Jie-Ping Wan ^{a, b, *,}

a.
Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs Research, College of Chemistry and Materials, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
b.
International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

wanjieping@jxnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 5 October 2025
Revised Date: 15 November 2025
Accepted Date: 28 November 2025
Available Online: 2 December 2025

Figures(6)

The visible light photocatalytic gem‑carboamination reactions of α-diazo esters by using o-hydroxyaryl enaminones and amines as reaction partners have been realized, leading to the straightforward synthesis of chromone derived α-amino esters which could be easily hydrolyzed to functionalized α-amino acids. The reactions mediated by molecular iodine proceed via free radical pathway under metal-free conditions. Unlike the conventional carbene-based functionalization of diazo compounds involving nucleophilic/electrophilic or two electron neutral groups, the current protocol allows the installation of two nucleophilic functional structures to the carbon center, providing practical new tool for the synthesis of amino acids.
- Photocatalysis,
- Diazo esters,
- Geminal difunctionalization,
- Metal-free,
- Free radical,
- α-Amino acids
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