Engaging Ag(0) single atoms in silver(I) salts-mediated C-B and C-S coupling under visible light irradiation

Silver(I) salts were found active in the borylation and sulfenylation of aryl iodides under visible light irradiation. The optimized borylation protocol using AgF did not need any additive, operated under very mild conditions, and well tolerated a broad scope of substrates and boron sources. Formation of Ag(0) single atoms (AgSAs) during the borylation reactions was examined using high-angle annular dark field aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (HAADF AC-STEM) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The activities of the silver(I) salts were affected by the anions and could be associated with their abilities in formation of AgSAs during the reactions. Kinetic studies showed that the deiodination rate was linearly correlated with the loading of AgSAs, and hence AgSAs were the true catalytic centers for the 1e⁻-reduction of the C-I moieties. The oxidation state of AgSAs kept 0 in both the resting and the working states. A “work-in-tandem” mechanism involving AgSAs as the catalytic centers and AgNPs as the light absorber to achieve the borylation of aryl iodides under visible light irradiation is proposed. The current approach not only provides an alternative system for borylation and sulfenylation of aryl iodides, but also reveals a new activity of silver(I) salts involving AgSAs under visible light irradiation.