Recent Advances in Synthetic Methods by Photocatalytic Single-Electron Transfer Chemistry of Pyridine N-Oxides

Abstract

By adoption of the enabling technology of modern photoredox catalysis and photochemistry, the generation of reactive and versatile pyridine N-oxy radicals can be facilely achieved from single-electron oxidation of pyridine N-oxides. This Synopsis highlights recent methodologies mediated by pyridine N-oxy radicals in developing (1) pyridine N-oxide-based hydrogen atom transfer catalysts for C(sp3)-H functionalizations and (2) β-oxyvinyl radical-mediated cascade reactions. In addition, recent research revealed that direct photoexcitation of pyridine N-oxides allowed for the generation of alkyl carbon radicals from alkylboronic acids.