Photochemical Generation of Nitrogen-Centered Amidyl, Hydrazonyl, and Imidyl Radicals: Methodology Developments and Catalytic Applications

During the past decade, visible light photo catalysis has become a powerful synthetic platform for promoting challenging bond constructions under mild reaction conditions. These photocatalytic systems rely on harnessing visible light energy for synthetic purposes through the generation of reactive but controllable free radical species. Recent progress in the area of visible light photocatalysis has established it as an enabling catalytic strategy for the mild and selective generation of nitrogen-centered radicals. The application of visible light for photocatalytic activation of amides, hydrazones, and imides represents a valuable approach for facilitating the formation of nitrogen-centered radicals. Within the span of only a couple of years, significant progress has been made for expediting the generation of amidyl, hydrazonyl, and imidyl radicals from a variety of precursors. This Perspective highlights the recent advances in visible light-mediated generation of these radicals. A particular emphasis is placed on the unique ability of visible light photocatalysis in accessing elusive reaction manifolds for the construction of diversely functionalized nitrogen-containing motifs and as a platform for nontraditional bond disconnections in contemporary synthetic chemistry.