Photo-induced copper-catalyzed alkynylation and amination of remote unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds.

A method for remote radical C-H alkynylation and amination of diverse aliphatic alcohols has been developed. The reaction features a copper nucleophile complex formed in situ as a photocatalyst, which reduces the silicon-tethered aliphatic iodide to an alkyl radical to initiate 1,n-hydrogen atom transfer. Unactivated secondary and tertiary C-H bonds at β, γ, and δ positions can be functionalized in a predictable manner.