Organophotocatalytic Radical-Polar Cross-Coupling of Styrylboronic Acids and Redox-Active Esters

We report the development of a radical-polar cross -coupling reaction using styrylboronic acids and redox-active esters under organophotoredox catalysis. The reaction proceeds through a formal polarity-mismatched radical addition. The use of an organic photocatalyst permitted very low loadings of the electron-shuttle additive and accelerated reaction times compared with established processes. The scope of the reaction was explored, and the utility of the products is demonstrated.