Light-driven synthesis of 3-(hetero)aryl/alkyl-1-indanone derivatives from indan-1,3-diones and boronic acids via N-tosylhydrazones

Abstract An efficient methodology has been developed for synthesizing 3-(hetero)aryl/alkyl-indan-1-ones, which are highly valued scaffolds in chemistry. This method allows the mono(hetero)arylation/alkylation of indane-1,3-diones with (hetero)aryl/alkyl boronic acids under light-induced reaction conditions with the aid of K3PO4. A three-component approach also achieved the one-pot synthesis of 3-aryl/alkyl-indan-1-ones in good yields. UV absorption studies observed light-induced cleavage of the N–S bond of N-tosylhydrazone. We have also demonstrated the synthetic utility of C3-substituted aryl/alkyl-indan-1-ones and synthesized a biologically active molecule.