Visible light photocatalysis with benzophenone for radical thiol-ene reactions

We report herein a simple, metal- and oxidant-free visible light promoted strategy for an antiMarkovnikov hydrothiolation of unactivated olefins using benzophenone as an inexpensive photocatalyst at room temperature. Anti-Markovnikov adducts of a wide variety of olefins and thiols are formed in highly regioselective manner and good to excellent yields. The present radical thiol-ene reaction is operationally simple and well tolerates a variety of functional groups. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.