Iron-Catalyzed α-Methylation of Ketones Using Methanol as the C1 Source under Photoirradiation.

A mild, environmentally benign approach for α-methylation of ketones utilizing methanol as the C1 source under visible light has been developed. The reaction conditions were favorable for a wide range of ketones with both aromatic and aliphatic backbones, allowing for good-to-excellent yields of the respective products. The tentative mechanism is postulated after preliminary mechanistic and kinetic experiments.