Zwitterionic Diphenylphosphinyl Amidate as a Powerful Photoinduced Hydrogen-Atom-Transfer Catalyst for C–H Alkylation of Simple Alkanes

The chemical and physical properties of amides change substantially when the electron-withdrawing groups attached to the nitrogen are varied. Herein, we report the superior performance of N-diphenylphosphinyl 1,2,3-triazolium amidate as a photoinduced hydrogen-atom transfer catalyst compared to its N-benzoyl analog. A binary catalyst system of the phosphinyl amidate and an Ir-based photocatalyst enables the alkylation of unbiased C–H bonds.