Modular Synthesis of Benzoylpyridines Exploiting a Reductive Arylation Strategy

Herein we disclose a telescoped flow strategy to access electronically differentiated bisaryl ketones as potentially new and tunable photosensitizers containing both electron-rich benzene systems and electron-deficient pyridyl moieties. Our approach merges a light-driven (365 nm) and catalyst-free reductive arylation between aromatic aldehydes and cyanopyridines with a subsequent oxidation process. The addition of electrondonating and withdrawing substituents on the scaffold allowed effective modification of the absorbance of these compounds in the UV−vis region, while the continuous flow process affords high yields, short residence time, and high throughput.