Tuning Triplet Energy Transfer of Hydroxamates as the Nitrene Precursor for Intramolecular C(sp³)–H Amidation

Reported herein is the design of a photosensitization strategy to generate triplet nitrenes and its applicability for the intramolecular C–H amidation reactions. Substrate optimization by tuning physical organic parameters according to the proposed energy transfer pathway led us to identify hydroxamates as a convenient nitrene precursor. While more classical nitrene sources, representatively organic azides, were ineffective under the current photosensitization conditions, hydroxamates, which are readily available from alcohols or carboxylic acids, are highly efficient in accessing synthetically valuable 2-oxazolidinones and γ-lactams by visible light. Mechanism studies supported our working hypothesis that the energy transfer path is mainly operative.