Aldehydes as powerful initiators for photochemical transformations

Photochemistry, the use of light to promote organic transformations, has been known for more than a century but only recently has revolutionized the way modern chemists are thinking. Except from transition metal-based complexes, small organic molecules have been introduced as catalysts or initiators. In this review, we summarize the potential that (aromatic or aliphatic) aldehydes have as photoinitiators. The photophysical properties and photoreactivity of benzaldehyde are initially provided, followed by applications of aldehydes as initiators for polymerization reactions. Finally, the applications to date regarding aldehydes as photoinitiators in organic synthesis are presented.