Homocoupling of benzyl pyridyl ethers via visible light-mediated deoxygenation.

The photocatalytic coupling of ethers is uncommon because of the challenges in breaking C-O bonds and low selectivity. Herein, we report a visible light-mediated deoxygenation homocoupling of benzyl pyridyl ethers their pyridium salts. This approach enables C(sp)-O bond homolysis under mild conditions. Mechanistic experiments support the radical nature of the reaction. This method is highly compatible with electron-withdrawing groups and has potential applications for drug precursor synthesis.