Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis: Generation of N-Oxazolidinone Radicals for the Synthesis of APIs

The recent advancements in radical chemistry have paved the way for new synthetic opportunities, solving challenges that more traditional methodologies have historically encountered. Conventional approaches used to build C-N bonds often rely on high temperatures and pre-functionalized coupling partners, such as Cu-catalyzed Ullman type coupling or Pd-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig amination [1]. However, in the last few years, some of these issues have been solved by the use of N-centered radicals generated by photoredox catalysis. These radicals have proven effective for building C-N bonds under mild reaction conditions. In this context, we focused our attention on the development of novel methodologies for the synthesis of bioactive compounds such as Linezolid and Eperezolid [2] (Figure 1a), involving the use of the totally unexplored N-oxazolidinone radicals generated by photocatalytic approach. An easy protocol for the generation of the radicals have been developed (Figure 1b), which were successfully employed in amidation reactions of various aromatic substrates. These initial investigations mark a significant step toward devising efficient and sustainable methods for the synthesis of APIs.