Visible-light-induced iron-catalyzed atom transfer radical addition of chloroform to alkenes.

An efficient visible-light-driven iron-catalyzed atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) reaction of chloroform to alkenes has been developed. Under the optimized conditions, the reaction affords a range of 1,3,3-trichloroalkanes with high atom economy and tolerance of various functional groups. Preliminary mechanistic experiments support a radical-mediated pathway for this ATRA process. This work establishes a low-cost, sustainable, and green approach for dichloromethylation via the activation of abundant and inexpensive chloroform.