Lewis Acid-Conjugated Pyrene Photoredox Catalyst Promoting the Addition Reaction of α-Silyl Amines with Benzalmalononitriles

Abstract

We developed the addition reaction of α-silyl amines with benzalmalononitriles catalyzed by a Mg²⁺-conjugated pyrene catalyst under visible light irradiation. The catalytic activity of this complex was higher than pyrene alone, a Mg²⁺ Lewis acid alone, and the sum of these two independent catalytic elements. The observed enhancement in catalytic activity was likely due to electrostatic interactions of the Mg²⁺ Lewis acid with the pyrene radical anion, which was generated through photoinduced single electron transfer from α-silyl amines to the catalyst’s pyrene moiety.