A visible light-mediated three-component strategy based on the ring-opening of cyclic ethers with aryldiazoacetates and nucleophiles

A blue light-promoted reaction between aryldiazoacetates and different nucleophiles has been developed in the presence of THF (and other cyclic ethers) as the solvent, allowing the incorporation of these three elements into a single product. Formally, this transformation represents an O–H insertion strategy of more complex alcohols into aryldiazoesters, without the need of pre-assembling them. The method is mild and efficient and proceeds in the absence of metals, generally at room temperature.