Synthetic Methods Driven by the Photoactivity of Electron Donor–Acceptor Complexes

The association of an electron-rich substrate with an electron-accepting molecule can generate a new molecular aggregate in the ground state, called an electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex. Even when the two precursors do not absorb visible light, the resulting EDA complex often does. In 1952, Mull...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Chemical Society 2020-03, Vol.142 (12), p.5461-5476
Main Authors: Crisenza, Giacomo E. M, Mazzarella, Daniele, Melchiorre, Paolo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
color
light
photochemistry
quantum mechanics
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The association of an electron-rich substrate with an electron-accepting molecule can generate a new molecular aggregate in the ground state, called an electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex. Even when the two precursors do not absorb visible light, the resulting EDA complex often does. In 1952, Mulliken proposed a quantum-mechanical theory to rationalize the formation of such colored EDA complexes. However, and besides a few pioneering studies in the 20th century, it is only in the past few years that the EDA complex photochemistry has been recognized as a powerful strategy for expanding the potential of visible-light-driven radical synthetic chemistry. Here, we explain why this photochemical synthetic approach was overlooked for so long. We critically discuss the historical context, scientific reasons, serendipitous observations, and landmark discoveries that were essential for progress in the field. We also outline future directions and identify the key advances that are needed to fully exploit the potential of the EDA complex photochemistry.
ISSN:0002-7863
1520-5126
1520-5126
DOI:10.1021/jacs.0c01416