Visible Light Induced Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling of N-Heterocyclic Compounds: Green and Efficient Synthetic Strategies

Abstract

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC), which directly modifies C–H bonds, is a powerful tool in modern organic synthesis. It saves atoms and steps while making it easier to obtain a wide variety of chemical configurations. Visible light-induced CDC reactions have garnered significant interest over the past decade due to their potential to facilitate selective bond formation in mild and sustainable conditions. Novel photocatalytic approaches that enable the efficient production of C-C, C-N, C-O, and other heteroatom-containing bonds from simple precursors have been developed as a consequence of extensive research efforts. N-Heterocyclic compounds have garnered a lot of interest in this field, owing to their usefulness in medicines, agrochemicals, and materials research. This review outlines progress in mechanistic understanding and catalyst design for visible-light-driven CDC reactions of N-heterocycles between 2014 to 2025.