Photoreductive Removal of O-Benzyl Groups from Oxyarene N-Heterocycles Assisted by O-Pyridine–pyridone Tautomerism

Facile photoreductive protocols have been developed to remove benzyl O-protective groups from oxyarene N-heterocycles at positions capable for 2-/4-O-pyridine–2-/4-pyridone tautomerism. Blue light irradiation, a [Ru] or [Ir] photocatalyst, and ascorbic acid in a water–acetonitrile solution debenzylates a variety of aryl N-heterocycles cleanly and selectively. Ascorbic acid has two functions in the reaction. On the one hand, it protonates the N-heterocycles that reduces their reduction potentials notably and on the other hand it acts as a sacrificial reductant. Reduction potentials and free energy barriers calculated at the CPCM-B3LYP/6-31+G** level can predict the reactivities of the studied substrates.