Acylation of N-Heteroarenes with Aldehydes Catalyzed by Photoexcited Hydrogen Chloride in Acetonitrile.

Using inexpensive HCl as the only catalyst in acetonitrile, a photoinduced acylation of six kinds of N-heteroarenes with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes was developed. This protocol features facile operation, short reaction times, mild reaction conditions, and a broad substrate scope, providing efficient access to diverse acylated N-heterocyclic compounds.