Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Deoxygenative Benzylation of Quinoxalin-2-(1<i>H</i>)‑ones with Carboxylic Acid Anhydrides

A visible-light-induced photocatalytic deoxygenative benzylation of quinoxalin-2-(1<i>H</i>)-ones is herein described. This novel approach provides a mild, simple, and practical route to 3-benzylquinoxalin-2(1<i>H</i>)-ones from ubiquitous and safe carboxylic acid anhydrides. A wide range of substrates with different substituents were well-tolerated and efficiently transformed to various functionalized 3-benzylquinoxalin-2(1<i>H</i>)-ones with great potential for valuable applications in drug discovery. Mechanistic investigations suggest H₂O as a proton source, while hydroxyl-containing quinoxalin-2(1<i>H</i>)-ones may be key intermediates of the photocatalytic deoxygenative process.