Construction of a visible light-driven hydrocarboxylation cycle of alkenes by the combined use of Rh(i) and photoredox catalysts.

A visible light driven catalytic cycle for hydrocarboxylation of alkenes with CO2 was established using a combination of a Rh(i) complex as a carboxylation catalyst and [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2'- bipyridyl) as a photoredox catalyst. Two key steps, the generation of Rh(i) hydride species and nucleophilic addition of π-benzyl Rh(i) species to CO2, were found to be mediated by light.