Herein, we report a mild and photoinduced radical alkylation of cyclic aldimines enabled by visible light. By leveraging visible-light-induced phenyliodine bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA) activation of free alcohols, this approach generates alkoxyl radicals via intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (1,5-HAT)─a practical and versatile method for remote C(sp3)–H functionalization known for its excellent regioselectivity. These alkoxyl radicals serve as alkylation agents, enabling efficient remote C(sp3)–H bond functionalization between cyclic aldimines and alcohols. The method features accessible starting materials, high atom economy, simple operation, and mild conditions, providing a practical and versatile pathway for the modification of cyclic aldimine derivatives.
LIU et al. (2026) studied this question.