Electron Donor–Acceptor (EDA) Complex between a Triarylamine and B(C₆F₅)₃ for the Photocatalytic Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling of Phenols

In this article, an electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex between a triarylamine and B(C6F5)3 that catalyzes the dehydrogenative cross-coupling of phenols is described. We demonstrate, for the first time, that the use of both components of the radical ion pairs generated by the photoexcitation of the EDA complex as co-catalysts, and the triarylaminium radical cation (+·NAr3) successfully promotes dehydrogenative cross-coupling between electron-rich phenols and 2-naphthols to provide electron-rich biphenol motifs using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant.