Photoredox-Catalyzed Radical Cascade Reaction To Synthesize Fluorinated Pyrrolo[1,2-d]benzodiazepine Derivatives.

A new photoredox-catalyzed cascade reaction is described to access fluorinated pyrrolo[1,2-d]benzodiazepine derivatives under mild conditions. In this process, single electron transfer (SET) between the excited state photocatalyst fac-Ir(ppy)3 and ethyl bromodifluoroacetate initiated the regioselective radical addition to a wide range of 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl) anilines or indol-substituted anilines, followed by another SET process and intramolecular amidation.