In the early days of synthetic organic chemistry Hantzsch esters (HEs) were bio-inspired hydride donors and often used for the reduction of C=X (X=C, N, O) bonds. Recently, it has been proved that HEs and their derivatives (4-Alkyl-or acyl-Hantzsch esters) serve as electron donor, proton source, hydrogen atom donor, alkyl and acyl radical precursors in photoredox catalysis. Recently it was found that the excited-state of HEs has also been identified as a strong photo reductant in the absence of photocatalyst and also, the donor of HE forms EDA-complexes with organic molecules and triggers SET process to generate carbon radical entities. This minireview focuses on the recent chemistry developments where Hantzsch esters act as a photo reductant in organic synthesis, with a special focus on the reaction mechanisms. We hope that this review will help in the further development of radical-based organic transformations in absence of external photocatalysts.
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