Reduction of unactivated alkyl chlorides enabled by light-induced single electron transfer

Alkyl chlorides are abundant and easily accessible starting materials. However, due to the high reduction potentials associated with unactivated alkyl chlorides, achieving their single electron reduction remains a persistent challenge. This challenge has spurred the exploration of efficient activation methods to overcome this issue. In recent years, photocatalysis has emerged as a mild and potent tool for the single electron reduction of unactivated alkyl chlorides, opening up new possibilities in this field. Considering the rapid advancements in this area, a comprehensive review that provides a conceptual understanding of this emerging field, with a specific focus on reaction design and catalytic mechanisms, would be timely and highly valuable. Hence, we present an overview of various synthetic techniques for photoinduced single electron reduction of unactivated alkyl chlorides. Furthermore, we also discuss the limitations of the present methods and future directions that lie ahead in this field.