Harnessing the triplet state reactivity of iminium ions has remained a long-standing challenge in photocatalysis. Now it has been shown that structural modification allows direct access to this manifold, overcoming the need for external photosensitizers. This strategy allows the development of organocatalytic enantioselective [2 + 2] photocycloadditions to generate complex cyclobutanes with high stereocontrol.
- Vasco Corti
- Gianluca Simionato
- Luca Dell’Amico
