Completing the cycle: Cobalt complexes I and II were found to catalyze intramolecular alkyl Heck‐type coupling reactions of alkyl iodides to alkenes upon irradiation with visible light in the presence of a tertiary amine base. The use of base is key to the catalytic turnover. The compatibility of the method with a broad range of functional groups opens opportunities for synthesis.

A cobalt-catalyzed photochemical synthesis of allylic trifluoromethanes from styrene derivatives using 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl iodide is described. The method complements existing approaches, providing an alternative bond construction strategy to access these compounds. The process may be conducted in continuous mode in a novel photochemical flow reactor, resulting in a notable productivity increase.

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Cascading to alkaloids: an 18-step total synthesis of (-)-dendrobine is based on a reaction cascade with a key amine group. The amine is the initiator of the cascade and provides an efficient method for installing the stereocenters at C11 and C3. The overall transformation occurs stereoselectively only when the conversion is carried out without the isolation of intermediates.