Blue‐Light Irradiated Mn(0)‐Catalyzed Hydroxylation and C(sp³)−H Functionalization of Unactivated Alkanes with C(sp²)−H Bonds of Quinones for Alkylated Hydroxy Quinones and Parvaquone

Abstract

Site‐selective C(sp3)‐H functionalization of unreactive hydrocarbons is always challenging due to its inherited chemical inertness, slightly different reactivity of various C‐H bonds, and intrinsically high bond dissociation energies. Here, we present a site‐selective C−H alkylation of naphthoquinone with unactivated hydrocarbons using Mn2(CO)10 as a catalyst under blue‐light (457 nm) irradiation without any external acid or base and pre‐functionalization. The selective C‐H functionalization of tertiary over secondary and secondary over primary C(sp3)−H bonds in abundant chemical feedstocks was achieved, and hydroxylation of quinones was realized in situ by employing the developed methodology. This protocol provides a new catalytic system for the direct construction of high‐value‐added compounds, namely, parvaquone (a commercially available drug, used to treat theileriosis) and its derivatives under ambient reaction conditions. Moreover, this operationally simple protocol applies to various linear‐, branched‐, and cyclo‐alkanes with high degrees of site selectivity under blue‐light conditions and could provide rapid and straightforward access to versatile methodologies for upgrading feedstock chemicals. Mechanistic insight by radical trapping, radical scavenging, EPR, and other controlled experiments well corroborated with DFT studies suggest that the reaction proceeds by a radical pathway.