In a landmark achievement, researchers realized the total asymmetric synthesis of the natural product (+)-heitziamide A using blue-light-activated iron photocatalysis, marking a milestone for iron-based photocatalysis.

The catalyst pairs affordable achiral bidentate ligands with chiral ligands to form a specific iron(III) salt structure, enabling enantioselective control through the chiral ligand while the achiral component boosts overall catalytic performance.

The approach holds broader implications for pharmaceutical chemistry by enabling construction of complex molecules and precursors from abundant iron with energy-efficient blue LEDs instead of relying on rare metals.

Leading researchers include Professor Kazuaki Ishihara, Assistant Professor Shuhei Ohmura, and graduate student Hayato Akao, with the findings published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The study indicates that employing a mirror-image (enantiomeric) catalyst could yield the enantiomer (-)-heitziamide A, enabling selective production of both enantiomers.

The system achieves a highly controlled radical cation (4 + 2) cyclization, forming a six-membered ring and yielding 1,2,3,5-substituted adducts characteristic of natural products like heitziamide A.

A redesigned iron-based photocatalyst from a Nagoya University team significantly reduces the need for expensive chiral ligands while using blue LED light, enhancing practicality and sustainability in asymmetric synthesis.