Uncharted catalytic strategies through α-scission redox catalysis

Strategic development of green approaches to complex organic molecules represents an essential element of the future society- and environment-oriented economy.

The transformation of abundant chemical compounds into valuable synthetic products with minimal amounts of energy and no harmful waste constitutes a paradigm technology shift.

Here, visible light- and electricity-mediated chemical reactions emerged as intrinsically-sustainable platforms for accessing pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, fragrances and other compounds under exceptionally benign and simple operational conditions.The proposed research program will expand the catalytic paradigm to previously unexplored types of chemical transformations, capitalizing on the intricate degree of control and flexibility provided by the photo- and electrochemically-mediated systems.

The proposed program will contest the existing reactivity profile of alkenes as free-radical acceptors and will enable their catalytic conversion into free-radical donors using phosphorous- and boron-based organocatalysis.

This approach will allow straightforward linear C–C cross-coupling of alkenes, as well as other bond-forming reactions between alkenes and radical acceptors.

This program also has a great potential of transcending beyond the stated goals by introducing the proposed approach to other unrelated areas of organic synthesis.