Cascade Photoredox/Iodide Catalysis: Access to Difluoro-γ-lactams via Aminodifluoroalkylation of Alkenes

The novel cascade photoredox/iodide catalytic system enables the alkene to serve as a radical acceptor capable of achieving aminodifluoroalkylation of alkenes. Cheap iodide salts play a vital role in this reaction, which could tune carbocation reactivity through reversible C-I bond formation for controlling reaction selectivity, and a series of competitive reactions are completely eliminated in the presence of multiple reactivity pathways. The present dual catalytic protocol affords a very convenient method for direct synthesis of various difluoro-gamma-lactams from simple and readily available starting materials under mild reaction conditions.