Visible light triggered photo-decomposition of vinyl azides to (E)-stilbene derivatives via 1,2-acyl migration

Abstract

An efficient photocatalyst-free visible light assisted synthetic route to various (E)-stilbene derivatives was developed. The reaction proceeds through a denitrogenative photo-decomposition of vinyl azides into 2H-azirines followed by neighboring amino group assisted ring opening, 1,2-acyl migration and enolization. The photochemical reaction offers light harvesting without any photocatalyst to access a wide variety of substituted (E)-stilbenes in moderate to high yields.