Catalysts that can be regulated in terms of activity and selectivity by external stimuli may allow the efficient multistep synthesis of complex molecules and pharmaceuticals. Herein, we report the light-color regulation of the redox potential of a photocatalyst to control the activation of chemical bonds. Light-color control of the redox power of a photocatalyst introduces a new selectivity parameter to photoredox catalysis: Instead of changing the catalyst or ligand, alteration of the color of the visible-light irradiation adjusts the selectivity in catalytic transformations. By using this principle, the selective activation of aryl-halide bonds for C-H arylation and the sequential conversion of functional groups with different reduction potentials is possible by simply applying different colors of light for excitation of the photocatalyst.
Keywords: C−H arylation; dyes; photocatalysis; radical anions; radicals.
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