The use of α-bromoacetophenone and alcohols as starting materials provides easy access to a variety of α-ketoesters, which are important buildingblocks in organic synthesis. Additionally, metal-free conditions make this methodology more cost-effective compared to traditional metal-catalyzed methods. The wide substrate scope of this methodology means that a variety of different a-ketoesters can be
A green and mild method has been developed for the conversion of β-ketonitriles into α-ketoesters under catalyst-free conditions. A plausible mechanism is that visible light promotes singlet oxygen generation to form the products through oxidative C–H bond functionalization and C–C σ -bond cleavage.