Photodecarboxylative Additions of α-Thioalkyl-Substituted Carboxylates to Alkyl Phenylglyoxylates

Abstract
Irradiations of alkyl phenylglyoxylates with sulfur-containing carboxylates yielded the corresponding photodecarboxylative addition products in moderate to good yields of 26-58%. Reductive photodimerization competed with decarboxylative addition in all cases. The reaction protocol was successfully transferred to a microreactor. With potassium 2-(methylsulfanyl)propionate, photoadditions gave diastereomeric mixtures with low selectivity for the like-isomer.