In this review, we highlight the use of organic photoredox catalysts in a myriad of synthetic transformations with a range of applications. This overview is arranged by catalyst class where the photophysics and electrochemical characteristics of each is discussed to underscore the differences and advantages to each type of single electron redox agent. We highlight both net reductive and oxidative as well as redox neutral transformations that can be accomplished using purely organic photoredox-active catalysts. An overview of the basic photophysics and electron transfer theory is presented in order to provide a comprehensive guide for employing this class of catalysts in photoredox manifolds.

Organic Photoredox Catalysis

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Late Transition Metal Catalysis

Asymmetric enamine catalysis.

Reactions that convert carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds into carbon–carbon (C–C) or carbon–heteroatom (C–Y) bonds are attractive tools for organic chemists, potentially expediting the synthesis of target molecules through new disconnections in retrosynthetic analysis. Despite extensive inorganic and organometallic study of the insertion of homogeneous metal species into unactivated C–H bonds, practical applications of this technology in organic chemistry are still rare. Only in the past decade have metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization reactions become more widely utilized in organic synthesis.Research in the area of homogeneous transition metal–catalyzed C–H functionalization can be broadly grouped into two subfields. They reflect different approaches and goals and thus have different challenges and opportunities. One approach involves reactions of completely unfunctionalized aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, which we refer to as “first functionalization”. Here the substrates are nonpolar and hydrophobic a...

Weak coordination as a powerful means for developing broadly useful C-H functionalization reactions.

Small-molecule H-bond donors in asymmetric catalysis.

A highly reactive and robust chiral Bronsted acid catalyst, chiral N-triflyl thiophosphoramide, was developed. The first metal-free Bronsted acid catalyzed enantioselective protonation reaction of silyl enol ethers was demonstrated using this chiral Bronsted acid catalyst. The catalyst loading could be reduced to 0.05 mol % without any deleterious effect on the enantioselectivity.

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A Brønsted Acid Catalyst for the Enantioselective Protonation Reaction

Catalytic Asymmetric Allylation of Aldehydes Using a Chiral Silver(I) Complex

Axially chiral 1,1'-biaryl-2,2'-dimethanol (3, BAMOL) family of diols are highly effective catalysts for enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder reactions between aminosiloxydiene 1 and a wide variety of unactivated aldehydes. The reactions proceed in useful yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The diols function in the same capacity as Lewis acids, by activating the aldehyde carbonyl group through hydrogen bonding.

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Hisashi Yamamoto

Papers

A Brønsted Acid Catalyst for the Enantioselective Protonation Reaction

Catalytic Asymmetric Allylation of Aldehydes Using a Chiral Silver(I) Complex

Axially chiral biaryl diols catalyze highly enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder reactions through hydrogen bonding.

Organoaluminum-promoted Beckmann rearrangement of oxime sulfonates

Direct ester condensation from a 1:1 mixture of carboxylic acids and alcohols catalyzed by hafnium(IV) or zirconium(IV) salts