Solvated Electrons: Dynamic Reductant in Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis

Abstract

AbstractOpen shell species are alluring significant attention owing to their unique physiochemical properties in redox chemistry for activating remarkably stable bonds. Solvated electrons are one of them that have been extensively investigated due to their high reduction potential (Ered=−2.9 V vs SHE in CH3CN), diverse substrate activation, and promising applications. If the activating species have a larger redox potential with a longer lifetime, then the broader range of substrates will be activated. Hence, the solvated electron qualifies as a super‐reductant with these qualities. However, due to safety issues, generating solvated electrons by dissolving alkali metals in an ammoniated solvent limits its use towards complicated organic transformations. Instead photochemically generated solvated electron overcome this limitation and is identified as a user‐friendly, sustainable, and much safer alternative approach for producing solvated electrons. In this minireview, we have comprehensively highlighted the recent key methods to generate the solvated electron photochemically, characterization techniques, and its application in organic transformations with selected examples. The minireview provides new opportunities for chemists to understand the conceptual, physical, and mechanistic chemistry principle of this super reductant for exploiting a new photochemical route for the transformations that are difficult to achieve by other means.