Organic transformations involving hydroxyl radicals

Abstract

Organic transformation involving hydroxyl radicals is a promising tactic for introducing functional groups and reconstructing molecules, demonstrating value in modern organic synthesis chemistry. However, the harsh reaction conditions required by its traditional generation approaches and the defects in by-product control have brought certain challenges to the sustainable development of this field. Over the past three decades, the generation strategies of hydroxyl radicals have been constantly innovated, providing new ideas for the precise construction of complex molecules. Their excellent functional group compatibility and high C–H bond activation ability have significantly promoted the development of C–O bond construction reactions and played roles in the synthesis of various complex compounds. This review classifies the organic transformation products formed through reactions with hydroxyl radicals into alcohols, phenols, ketones, carboxylic acids, and sulfonyl compounds based on differences in hydroxyl radical reservoirs. It systematically reviews the cutting-edge progress in this field, analyzes the generation pathways, mechanisms of action and experimental verification methods of hydroxyl radicals in depth, as well as focuses on analyzing the performance characteristics and application scopes of various generation approaches. Meanwhile, we comprehensively review the key challenges of current research, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for the design of these reactions, process optimization, and future research directions, thereby accelerating the innovative application of this tactic in fields such as drug development, functional material construction, and sustainable green chemistry.