One-electron reduction is commonly used in organic chemistry for the formation of radicals by the stepwise transfer of one or two electrons from a donor to an organic substrate. Besides metallic reagents, single-electron reducers based on neutral organic molecules have emerged as an attractive novel source of reducing electrons. The past 20 years have seen the blossoming of a particular class of organic reducing agents, the electron-rich olefins, and their application in organic synthesis. This Review gives an overview of the different types of organic donors and their specific characteristics in organic transformations.

No abstract

Paclitaxel and docetaxel are established as the standards of care, either as monotherapy or in combination with other cytotoxic agents in metastasic breast cancer. In order to improve the efficiency of solvent-based paclitaxel and to overcome its drawbacks in terms of safety, a solvent-free formulation has been developed. This work is a review of the albumin-bound paclitaxel data relative to its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles, its therapeutic efficiency and its safety of use. The activity of albumin-bound paclitaxel in phase II and III trials indicates its significant clinical efficiency in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In lung and pancreatic cancer and in melanoma, the use of albumin-bound paclitaxel leads to interesting results which require further investigations. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that albumin-bound paclitaxel is associated with a better tolerance compared to standard paclitaxel.

Polymerization reactions with organic electron donors (OED) as initiators are presented herein. The metal-free polymerization of various activated alkene and cyclic ester monomers was performed in short reaction times, under mild conditions, with small amounts of organic reducing agents, and without the need for co-initiators or activation by photochemical, electrochemical, or other methods. Hence, OED initiators enabled the development of an efficient, rapid, room-temperature process that meets the technical standards expected for industrial processes, such as energy savings, cost-effectiveness and safety. Mechanistic investigations support an electron-transfer initiation pathway that leads to the reduction of the monomer.