Acyl Radicals from Acylsilanes: Photoredox Catalyzed Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Ketones

Acyl radicals were smoothly generated from acylsilanes under photoredoxcatalyzed conditions. These radicals were formed upon ultraviolet B (UV-B), solar, or visible light irradiation by using decatungstate and acridinium salts as photocatalysts.
Acylation of Michael acceptors and a few styrenes resulted in a smooth preparation of unsymmetrical ketones in yields up to 89%.