Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.135, No.28, 10334-10337, 2013
Direct Catalytic Anti-Markovnikov Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Alkenes
A direct catalytic anti-Markovnikov addition of carboxylic acids to alkenes is reported. The catalyst system is comprised of the Fukuzumi acridinium photo-oxidant (1) and a substoichiometric quantity of a hydrogen-atom donor. Oxidizable olefins, such as styrenes, trisubstituted aliphatic alkenes, and enamides, can be employed along with a variety of carboxylic acids to afford the anti-Markovnikov addition adducts exclusively. A deuterium-labeling experiment lends insight to the potential mechanism.