Visible-Light Promoted Synthesis of Vinyloxaziridines from Conjugated Carbonyls

Herein we report the first visible-light promoted synthesis of vinyloxaziridines from simple conjugated nitrones. We have found that vinyl nitrones formed from the condensation reaction between conjugated carbonyls and hydroxylamines undergo visible-light promoted energy transfer isomerization to the respective vinyloxaziridine in very high yields and selectivities. The reaction scope expands to a large array of substitution patterns and evidence indicates that the proposed energy transfer pathway is the predominant mechanism for this transformation.