ConspectusHarnessing
visible light as the driving force
for chemical transformations generally offers a more environmentally
friendly alternative compared with classical synthetic methodology.
The transition metal-based photocatalysts commonly employed in photoredox
catalysis absorb efficiently in the visible spectrum, unlike most
organic substrates, allowing for orthogonal excitation. The subsequent
excited states are both more reducing and more oxidizing than the
ground state catalyst and are competitive with some of the more powerful
single-electron oxidants or reductants available to organic chemists
yet are simply accessed via irradiation. The benefits of this strategy
have proven particularly useful in radical chemistry, a field that
traditionally employs rather toxic and hazardous reagents to generate
the desired intermediates.In this Account, we discuss our efforts
to leverage visible light photoredox catalysis in radical-based bond-forming
and bond-cleaving events for which few, if any, environmentally benign
alternatives exist. Mechanistic investigations have driven our contributions
in this field, for both facilitating desired transformations and offering
new, unexpected opportunities. In fact, our total synthesis of (+)-gliocladin
C was only possible upon elucidating the propensity for various trialkylamine
additives to elicit a dual behavior as both a reductive quencher and
a H-atom donor. Importantly, while natural product synthesis was central
to our initial motivations to explore these photochemical processes,
we have since demonstrated applicability within other subfields of
chemistry, and our evaluation of flow technologies demonstrates the
potential to translate these results from the bench to pilot scale.Our forays into photoredox catalysis began with fundamental methodology,
providing a tin-free reductive dehalogenation that exchanged the gamut
of hazardous reagents previously employed for such a transformation
for visible light-mediated, ambient temperature conditions. Evolving
from this work, a new avenue toward atom transfer radical addition
(ATRA) chemistry was developed, enabling dual functionalization of
both double and triple bonds. Importantly, we have also expanded our
portfolio to target clinically relevant scaffolds. Photoredox catalysis
proved effective in generating high value fluorinated alkyl radicals
through the use of abundantly available starting materials, providing
access to libraries of trifluoromethylated (hetero)arenes as well
as intriguing gem-difluoro benzyl motifs via a novel
photochemical radical Smiles rearrangement. Finally, we discuss a
photochemical strategy toward sustainable lignin processing through
selective C–O bond cleavage methodology. The collection of
these efforts is meant to highlight the potential for visible light-mediated
radical chemistry to impact a variety of industrial sectors.