Photoinduced Dynamic Radical Processes for Isomerizations, Deracemizations, and Dynamic Kinetic Resolutions

Abstract

Isomerizations are chemical processes where a compound is transformed into another structure while retaining the same chemical formula. When dynamic, these reactions are amenable to convergent synthetic scenarios where one isomer reacts preferentially in a subsequent chemical step or accumulates as a function of the isomerization mechanism. With the recent renaissance of photochemistry, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of transformations leveraging radicals and diradicals as key intermediates for isomerization. This perspective will examine these dynamic approaches in isomerizations, deracemizations, and dynamic kinetic resolutions. By better understanding the mechanisms these approaches employ, dynamic processes can be imagined that could streamline chemical synthesis.