Visible
light-mediated photocatalysis, which relies on the ability
of photocatalysts to absorb low-energy visible light and engage in
single-electron transfer (SET) or energy transfer (ET) processes with
organic substrates, has emerged as one of the fastest growing fields
in organic synthesis. This catalytic platform enables a highly selective
approach to promote radical-based organic transformations which unlocks
unique reaction pathways. Due to the extremely mild conditions of
these transformations and compatibility in aqueous environments, photocatalysis
has emerged as an enabling technology in drug discovery. Photocatalysis
is uniquely positioned for application in pharmaceutical development
because of its demonstrated potential for broad functional group tolerance,
biocompatibility, site-specific selectivity, and operational simplicity.
This review will highlight the recent advances of visible-light photocatalysis
through its application in peptide functionalization, protein bioconjugation,
Csp
3–Csp
2 cross-coupling,
late-stage functionalization, isotopic labeling, DNA-encoded library
technology (DELT), and microenvironment mapping (μMap).