Facile and efficient synthesis of hydroxyalkyl esters from cyclic acetals through aerobic photo-oxidation using anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid

Direct Photocatalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) for Aliphatic C-H Bonds Elaboration

Direct photocatalyzed hydrogen atom transfer (d-HAT) can be considered a method of choice for the elaboration of aliphatic C–H bonds. In this manifold, a photocatalyst (PC_HAT) exploits the energy of a photon to trigger the homolytic cleavage of such bonds in organic compounds. Selective C–H bond elaboration may be achieved by a judicious choice of the hydrogen abstractor (key parameters are the electronic character and the molecular structure), as well as reaction additives. Different are the classes of PCs_HAT available, including aromatic ketones, xanthene dyes (Eosin Y), polyoxometalates, uranyl salts, a metal-oxo porphyrin and a tris(amino)cyclopropenium radical dication. The processes (mainly C–C bond formation) are in most cases carried out under mild conditions with the help of visible light. The aim of this review is to offer a comprehensive survey of the synthetic applications of photocatalyzed d-HAT.

Remarkable improvement of epoxide ring-opening reaction efficiency and selectivity with water as a green regulator

As a fully green regulator, water improves the product selectivity by regulating the transformation routes of the reaction intermediate.

Visible-Light Catalytic Photooxygenation of Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids: Access to Spirooxindole-1,3-oxazines

Few natural oxindole alkaloids possess an exceptional spiro-[(1,3)oxazinan-3,6'-oxindole] core structure, which results from an unusual oxidative indole rearrangement. The Rauvolfia alkaloid reserpine can be converted into the spirooxindole-1,3-oxazines dioxyreserpine and trioxyreserpine through efficient visible-light catalytic photooxygenation with anthraquinone photocatalysts. A mechanistic investigation sheds new light on the photooxidative rearrangement of reserpine and related monoterpene indole alkaloids, and the spirooxindole-1,3-oxazine products can be valorized by reductive ring opening, to obtain cis-decahydroisoquinolines as new enantiopure synthetic building blocks, as demonstrated for dioxyreserpine.

Photoorganocatalysis, small organic molecules and light in the service of organic synthesis: the awakening of a sleeping giant

Photocatalysis, the use of light to promote organic transformations, is a field of catalysis that has received limited attention despite existing for over 100 years. With the revolution of photoredox catalysis in 2008, the rebirth or awakening of the field of photoorganocatalysis has brought new ideas and reactions to organic synthesis. This review will focus on the sudden outburst of literature regarding the use of small organic molecules as photocatalysts after 2013. In particular, it will focus on acridinium salts, benzophenones, pyrylium salts, thioxanthone derivatives, phenylglyoxylic acid, BODIPYs, flavin derivatives, and classes of organic molecules as catalysts for the photocatalytic generation of C-C and C-X bonds.

Synthesis of 2,2-difluoro-homoallylic alcohols via ring-opening of gem-difluorocyclopropane and aerobic oxidation by photo-irradiation in the presence of an organic pigment

The aerobic oxidation took place after the visible light-mediated ring-opening reaction of gem-difluorocyclopropane in the presence of an organic dye and amine to furnish 2,2-difluoro-homoallylic alcohols in good yields.

Selective Photooxidation Reactions using Water-Soluble Anthraquinone Photocatalysts

The aerobic organocatalytic oxidation of alcohols was achieved by using water‐soluble sodium anthraquinone sulfonate. Under visible‐light activation, this catalyst mediated the aerobic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones. The photo‐oxyfunctionalization of alkanes was also possible under these conditions.

Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT): A Versatile Strategy for Substrate Activation in Photocatalyzed Organic Synthesis

The adoption of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) in a photocatalytic approach, in which an excited catalyst is responsible for substrate activation, offers unique opportunities in organic synthesis, enabling the straightforward activation of R-H (R = C, Si, S) bonds in desired reagents. Either a direct strategy, based on the intrinsic reactivity of a limited number of photocatalysts in the excited state, or an indirect one, in which a photocatalytic cycle is used for the generation of a thermal hydrogen abstractor, can be exploited. This microreview summarizes the most recent advances (mainly from the last two years) in this rapidly developing area of research, collecting the selected examples according to the nature of the species promoting the HAT process. From the synthetic point of view, this area has led to the development of a plethora of strategies for C-C, C-Si, C-N, C-S, and C-halogen (particularly, fluorine) bond formation, as well as for oxidation reactions.