We teamed up with Prof. Shunsuke Chiba's group in a quest to review historical and contemporary strategies for strong C-X (heteroatom) cleavages, using photochemistry, electrochemistry, or both!
The review is generally focussed on electron transfer activations. It is structured around the 'intimacy' of activation mode, from direct approaches like UV light direct excitation and electrolysis, to indirect approaches like photoredox catalysis and photoelectrochemistry. Rather than detailed analysis of the photocatalytic cycle or downstream chemistry, it focusses on the key activation and bond cleavage steps and the role of other reagents/additives that facilitate these steps.
We hope this account will be useful and timely as the focus of organic synthesis shifts to more and more inert substrate activations - in order to engage biomass and chemical waste - as feedstock chemicals for organic synthesis of the future!
Congratulations to Xianhai, Yuliang (Chiba group), Shahboz and Jonathan for their contributions! It was a pleasure to for JPB to collaborate with Shunsuke.
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