Dual N-heterocyclic carbene/photocatalysis: a new strategy for radical processes

Abstract

While N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have played an important role as Lewis-base organocatalysts and developed recently into a full chapter of this exciting area of organocatalysis, NHC-catalyzed single-electron-transfer (SET) processes are still challenging and underdeveloped. Recently, NHC catalysis has been successfully combined with photoredox catalysis for SET reactions and this turned out to be a promising strategy. This article focuses on the recent advances of the combination of photoredox catalysis with NHC catalysis.