Enantioselective catalysis of photochemical reactions.
TL;DR: This Review outlines the two major concepts of homogenously catalyzed enantioselective processes and reactions are presented in which the photochemical excitation is mediated by an achiral photocatalyst and the transfer of chirality is ensured by a second chiral catalyst (dual catalysis).
Abstract: The nature of the excited state renders the development of chiral catalysts for enantioselective photochemical reactions a considerable challenge. The absorption of a 400 nm photon corresponds to an energy uptake of approximately 300 kJ mol(-1) . Given the large distance to the ground state, innovative concepts are required to open reaction pathways that selectively lead to a single enantiomer of the desired product. This Review outlines the two major concepts of homogenously catalyzed enantioselective processes. The first part deals with chiral photocatalysts, which intervene in the photochemical key step and induce an asymmetric induction in this step. In the second part, reactions are presented in which the photochemical excitation is mediated by an achiral photocatalyst and the transfer of chirality is ensured by a second chiral catalyst (dual catalysis).
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TL;DR: This Review summarizes dual-catalyst strategies that have been applied to synthetic photochemistry, and focuses upon the cooperative interactions of photocatalysts with redox mediators, Lewis and Brønsted acids, organocatalyst, enzymes, and transition metal complexes.
Abstract: The interaction between an electronically excited photocatalyst and an organic molecule can result in the genertion of a diverse array of reactive intermediates that can be manipulated in a variety of ways to result in synthetically useful bond constructions. This Review summarizes dual-catalyst strategies that have been applied to synthetic photochemistry. Mechanistically distinct modes of photocatalysis are discussed, including photoinduced electron transfer, hydrogen atom transfer, and energy transfer. We focus upon the cooperative interactions of photocatalysts with redox mediators, Lewis and Bronsted acids, organocatalysts, enzymes, and transition metal complexes.
1,744 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C-H activation until summer 2018 is provided.
Abstract: C–H activation has surfaced as an increasingly powerful tool for molecular sciences, with notable applications to material sciences, crop protection, drug discovery, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Despite major advances, the vast majority of these C–H functionalizations required precious 4d or 5d transition metal catalysts. Given the cost-effective and sustainable nature of earth-abundant first row transition metals, the development of less toxic, inexpensive 3d metal catalysts for C–H activation has gained considerable recent momentum as a significantly more environmentally-benign and economically-attractive alternative. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview on first row transition metal catalysts for C–H activation until summer 2018.
1,417 citations
TL;DR: In this review, an up-to-date overview is given of photochemical transformations in continuous-flow reactors, including applications in organic synthesis, material science, and water treatment.
Abstract: Continuous-flow photochemistry in microreactors receives a lot of attention from researchers in academia and industry as this technology provides reduced reaction times, higher selectivities, straightforward scalability, and the possibility to safely use hazardous intermediates and gaseous reactants. In this review, an up-to-date overview is given of photochemical transformations in continuous-flow reactors, including applications in organic synthesis, material science, and water treatment. In addition, the advantages of continuous-flow photochemistry are pointed out and a thorough comparison with batch processing is presented.
1,027 citations
TL;DR: In this review, it is attempted to cover all recent aspects of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition chemistry with an emphasis on synthetically relevant, regio-, and stereoselective reactions.
Abstract: The [2 + 2] photocycloaddition is undisputedly the most important and most frequently used photochemical reaction. In this review, it is attempted to cover all recent aspects of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition chemistry with an emphasis on synthetically relevant, regio-, and stereoselective reactions. The review aims to comprehensively discuss relevant work, which was done in the field in the last 20 years (i.e., from 1995 to 2015). Organization of the data follows a subdivision according to mechanism and substrate classes. Cu(I) and PET (photoinduced electron transfer) catalysis are treated separately in sections 2 and 4, whereas the vast majority of photocycloaddition reactions which occur by direct excitation or sensitization are divided within section 3 into individual subsections according to the photochemically excited olefin.
646 citations
TL;DR: This Review highlights the most recent advances in visible-light-induced EnT reactions, which provide a distinct reaction pathway for single-electron transfer reactions.
Abstract: Visible-light photocatalysis is a rapidly developing and powerful strategy to initiate organic transformations, as it closely adheres to the tenants of green and sustainable chemistry. Generally, most visible-light-induced photochemical reactions occur through single-electron transfer (SET) pathways. Recently, visible-light-induced energy-transfer (EnT) reactions have received considerable attentions from the synthetic community as this strategy provides a distinct reaction pathway, and remarkable achievements have been made in this field. In this Review, we highlight the most recent advances in visible-light-induced EnT reactions.
596 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the resonance theory of Forster, which involves only allowed transitions, is extended to include transfer by means of forbidden transitions which, it is concluded, are responsible for the transfer in all inorganic systems yet investigated.
Abstract: The term ``sensitized luminescence'' in crystalline phosphors refers to the phenomenon whereby an impurity (activator, or emitter) is enabled to luminesce upon the absorption of light in a different type of center (sensitizer, or absorber) and upon the subsequent radiationless transfer of energy from the sensitizer to the activator The resonance theory of Forster, which involves only allowed transitions, is extended to include transfer by means of forbidden transitions which, it is concluded, are responsible for the transfer in all inorganic systems yet investigated The transfer mechanisms of importance are, in order of decreasing strength, the overlapping of the electric dipole fields of the sensitizer and the activator, the overlapping of the dipole field of the sensitizer with the quadrupole field of the activator, and exchange effects These mechanisms will give rise to ``sensitization'' of about 103−104, 102, and 30 lattice sites surrounding each sensitizer in typical systems The dependence of transfer efficiency upon sensitizer and activator concentrations and on temperature are discussed Application is made of the theory to experimental results on inorganic phosphors, and further experiments are suggested
7,635 citations
TL;DR: The conversion of these bench stable, benign catalysts to redox-active species upon irradiation with simple household lightbulbs represents a remarkably chemoselective trigger to induce unique and valuable catalytic processes.
Abstract: A fundamental aim in the field of catalysis is the development of new modes of small molecule activation. One approach toward the catalytic activation of organic molecules that has received much attention recently is visible light photoredox catalysis. In a general sense, this approach relies on the ability of metal complexes and organic dyes to engage in single-electron-transfer (SET) processes with organic substrates upon photoexcitation with visible light.
Many of the most commonly employed visible light photocatalysts are polypyridyl complexes of ruthenium and iridium, and are typified by the complex tris(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium(II), or Ru(bpy)32+ (Figure 1). These complexes absorb light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum to give stable, long-lived photoexcited states.1,2 The lifetime of the excited species is sufficiently long (1100 ns for Ru(bpy)32+) that it may engage in bimolecular electron-transfer reactions in competition with deactivation pathways.3 Although these species are poor single-electron oxidants and reductants in the ground state, excitation of an electron affords excited states that are very potent single-electron-transfer reagents. Importantly, the conversion of these bench stable, benign catalysts to redox-active species upon irradiation with simple household lightbulbs represents a remarkably chemoselective trigger to induce unique and valuable catalytic processes.
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Figure 1
Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes: versatile visible light photocatalysts.
6,252 citations
TL;DR: This tutorial review provides a historical overview of visible light photoredox catalysis in organic synthesis along with recent examples which underscore its vast potential to initiate organic transformations.
Abstract: The use of visible light sensitization as a means to initiate organic reactions is attractive due to the lack of visible light absorbance by organic compounds, reducing side reactions often associated with photochemical reactions conducted with high energy UV light. This tutorial review provides a historical overview of visible light photoredox catalysis in organic synthesis along with recent examples which underscore its vast potential to initiate organic transformations.
3,095 citations
TL;DR: The finding that the amino acid proline is an effective asymmetric catalyst for the direct aldol reaction between unmodified acetone and a variety of aldehydes is reported.
Abstract: Most enzymatic transformations have a synthetic counterpart. Often though, the mechanisms by which natural and synthetic catalysts operate differ markedly. The catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction as a fundamental C-C bond forming reaction in chemistry and biology is an interesting case in this respect. Chemically, this reaction is dominated by approaches that utilize preformed enolate equivalents in combination with a chiral catalyst.1 Typically, a metal is involved in the reaction mechanism.1d Most enzymes, however, use a fundamentally different strategy and catalyze the direct aldolization of two unmodified carbonyl compounds. Class I aldolases utilize an enamine based mechanism,2 while Class II aldolases mediate this process by using a zinc cofactor.3 The development of aldolase antibodies that use an enamine mechanism and accept hydrophobic organic substrates has demonstrated the potential inherent in amine-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions.4 Recently, the first small-molecule asymmetric class II aldolase mimics have been described in the form of zinc, lanthanum, and barium complexes.5,6 However, amine-based asymmetric class I aldolase mimics have not been described in the literature.7 Here we report our finding that the amino acid proline is an effective asymmetric catalyst for the direct aldol reaction between unmodified acetone and a variety of aldehydes. Recently we developed broad scope aldolase antibodies that show very high enantioselectivities, have enzymatic rate accelerations, and use the enamine mechanism of class I aldolases.4 During the course of these studies, we found that one of our aldolase catalytic antibodies (Aldolase Antibody 38C2, Aldrich) is an efficient catalyst for enantiogroup-differentiating aldol cyclodehydrations of 2,6-heptanediones to give cyclohexenones, including the Wieland-Miescher ketone.8,9 These intramolecular reactions are also catalyzed by proline (Hajos-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction)10 and it has been postulated that they proceed via an enamine mechanism.11 However, the proline-catalyzed direct intermolecular asymmetric aldol reaction has not been described. Further, there are no asymmetric small-molecule aldol catalysts that use an enamine mechanism.7 Based on our own results and Shibasaki’s work on lanthanum-based small-molecule aldol catalysts,4,6 we realized the great potential of catalysts for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction. We initially studied the reaction of acetone with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde. Reacting proline (30 mol %) in DMSO/acetone (4:1) with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde at room temperature for 4 h furnished aldol product (R)-1 in 68% yield and 76% ee (eq 1). This result
2,283 citations
TL;DR: The enantioselective intermolecular α-alkylation of aldehydes has been accomplished using an interwoven activation pathway that combines both the photoredox catalyst Ru(bpy)3Cl2 and an imidazolidinone organocatalyst.
Abstract: Photoredox catalysis and organocatalysis represent two powerful fields of molecule activation that have found widespread application in the areas of inorganic and organic chemistry, respectively. We merged these two catalysis fields to solve problems in asymmetric chemical synthesis. Specifically, the enantioselective intermolecular α-alkylation of aldehydes has been accomplished using an interwoven activation pathway that combines both the photoredox catalyst Ru(bpy)3Cl2 (where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine) and an imidazolidinone organocatalyst. This broadly applicable, yet previously elusive, alkylation reaction is now highly enantioselective and operationally trivial.
1,795 citations