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.

Catalytic Enantioselective Protonation of Simple Enolate with Chiral Imide1

Neben ihrer hohen Affinitat fur Sauerstoff haben Organoaluminium-Verbindungen ambiphilen Charakter (elektrophil und nucleophil). Diese Eigenschaften wurden zur Entwicklung neuer Synthesemethoden mit einzigartigen Selektivitaten genutzt. Zu nennen sind hier insbesondere die durch Organoaluminium-Verbindungen induzierte Beckmann-Umlagerung von Oximsulfonaten, neue Synthesen von Polyamin-Makrocyclen durch reduktive Spaltung von Aminalen und Amidinen mit Diisobutylaluminiumhydrid, die diastereoselektive Spaltung chiraler Acetale durch Organoaluminium-Verbindungen unter Bildung von optisch aktiven sekundaren Alkoholen, Allylalkoholen und β-substituierten Carbonylverbindungen sowie biogeneseahnliche Terpensynthesen. an diesen und weiteren fur die Organoaluminium-Chemie charakteristischen Beispielen werden die Vorteile derartiger Reagentien erlautert.

Hisashi Yamamoto

Papers

Catalytic Enantioselective Protonation of Simple Enolate with Chiral Imide1

Selektive Reaktionen mit Organoaluminium-Reagentien

Chiral leaving group asymmetric synthesis of limonene and bisabolene

New stereospecific synthetic routes to farnesol and its derivatives, including a biologically active position isomer of C17 Cecropia juvenile hormone

Bifunctional Acid Catalysts for Organic Synthesis