Photochemical Homologation for the Preparation of Aliphatic Aldehydes in Flow

Cheap and readily available aqueous formaldehyde was used as a formylating reagent in a homologation reaction with nonstabilized diazo compounds, enabled by UV photolysis of bench-stable oxadiazolines in a flow photoreactor. Various aliphatic aldehydes were synthesized along with the corresponding derivatized alcohols and benzimidazoles. No transition-metal catalyst or additive was required to affect the reaction, which proceeded at room temperature in 80 min.