Bismuth in Radical Chemistry and Catalysis

Abstract

Whereas indications of radical reactivity in bismuth compounds can be traced back to the 19th century, the preparation and characterization of both transient and persistent bismuth‐radical species has only been established in recent decades. These advancements led to the emergence of the field of bismuth radical chemistry, mirroring the progress seen for other main‐group elements. The seminal and fundamental studies in this area have ultimately paved the way for the development of catalytic methodologies involving bismuth‐radical intermediates, a promising approach that remains largely untapped in the broad landscape of synthetic organic chemistry. In this review, we delve into the milestones that eventually led to the present state‐of‐the‐art in the field of radical bismuth chemistry. Our focus aims at outlining the intrinsic discoveries in fundamental inorganic/organometallic chemistry and contextualizing their practical applications in organic synthesis and catalysis.