Thiolate photocatalysis enables radical borylation of reductively inert aryl electrophiles

The facile installation of functionalities to aromatic compounds via chemical activation of inert carbon-heteroatom bonds is a challenging task. In this issue of Chem, Konig and co-workers disclose a photocatalytic protocol for the radical borylation of reductively inert aryl electrophiles, such as aryl fluorides and aryl carbonates, by using simple thiolate salts as a catalyst.

Automated summary

This study presents a novel photocatalytic protocol for the radical borylation of reductively inert aryl electrophiles using simple thiolate salts as catalysts. The facile installation of functionalities to aromatic compounds via chemical activation of inert carbon-heteroatom bonds is demonstrated in this research.