Visible-Light-Promoted Metal-Free Aerobic Hydroxyazidation of Alkenes

A highly efficient visible-light-promoted metal-free aerobic hydroxyazidation of alkenes has been developed. This protocol was operationally simple with broad substrate scope using relatively simple and readily available starting materials, such as alkenes and air, to construct valuable β-azido alcohols which are significant building blocks to build N-containing compounds. The distinct possible mechanisms were proposed via the generation of azido radical and alkene radical cation.