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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jun 26.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Chem. 2016 Dec 26;9(5):453–456. doi: 10.1038/nchem.2690

Figure 3. Proposed mechanism for photoredox catalytic α-carboxylation of amines with CO2.

Figure 3

The excited singlet state of the photoredox catalyst p-terphenyl (10) is quenched by tertiary amine 11, and the radical anion of p-terphenyl (12) reduces CO2 to its radical anion (14). After the deprotonation of amine radical cation 13 to afford α-amino radical 15, radical-radical coupling of 14 and 15 provides α-amino acid 16.