Visible-Light-Induced Aziridination of Unactivated Alkenes via Energy-Transfer Cleavage of Sulfilimines.

Herein, we report that the aziridination of alkenes proceeds via visible-light-mediated energy-transfer-induced cleavage of N-sulfonyl sulfilimines, which serve as bench-stable nitrene precursors with a recoverable dibenzothiophene moiety. This strategy proves to be efficient, delivering good to excellent yields for mono- to tetrasubstituted unactivated alkenes and styrenes, with its applicability further extended to pharmaceuticals. Mechanistic studies support an energy-transfer pathway involving a free triplet nitrene intermediate.