Synergistic Redox Reaction for Value-Added Organic Transformation via Dual-Functional Photocatalytic Systems

Photocatalytic selective organic transformations provide an efficient synthetic alternative for several industrially relevant chemicals, using solar rather than thermal energy. However, in most cases, photocatalytic organic reaction systems involve only reductive or oxidative pathways with the aid of sacrificial reagents as efficient electron acceptors or donors, thus limiting the economic added value. Recently, merging selective organic reductions and oxidations in a dual-functional photocatalytic reaction system has been presented to address this limitation. In this coupled reaction system, both the photogenerated electrons and holes can be simultaneously utilized to produce value-added products, make the overall process more valuable from the economic perspective. In this review, the development of dual-functional photocatalytic organic synthesis is systemically summarized. Particular emphasis is paid to merging selective organic oxidation and reduction reactions and coupling selective organic transformations with chemical fuel generation (e.g., H2, CO). Also, a personal perspective on future developments in this field is provided. Although still in its infancy, it is expected that this dual-functional technology offers opportunities to develop the next-generation selective organic transformation processes that meet the stringent economic, societal, and ecological expectations.