C(sp)-H functionalizations of light hydrocarbons using decatungstate photocatalysis in flow.

Direct activation of gaseous hydrocarbons remains a major challenge for the chemistry community. Because of the intrinsic inertness of these compounds, harsh reaction conditions are typically required to enable C(sp)-H bond cleavage, barring potential applications in synthetic organic chemistry. Here, we report a general and mild strategy to activate C(sp)-H bonds in methane, ethane, propane, and isobutane through hydrogen atom transfer using inexpensive decatungstate as photocatalyst at room temperature. The corresponding carbon-centered radicals can be effectively trapped by a variety of Michael acceptors, leading to the corresponding hydroalkylated adducts in good isolated yields and high selectivity (38 examples).