In(III)-Catalyzed Radical Addition of Alkyl and Aryl Iodides to Acrylates

Significance

The utility of radical reactions in organic synthesis is rapidly growing. The formation of the radical from a corresponding alkyl or aryl iodide can be easily achieved using a catalytic amount of indium(III) in the presence of a silane like PhSiH₃. Such a radical can be trapped by an electron-deficient alkene, thus providing an elegant method for a new C-C bond formation of a quite broad scope, applicability, and excellent tolerance to functional groups, replacing the classical method using toxic organotin compounds.