The present review offers an overview of the current approaches for the photochemical and photocatalytic generation of reactive intermediates and their application in the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Valuable synthetic targets are accessible, including arylation processes, formation of both carbo- and heterocycles, alpha- and beta-functionalization of carbonyls, and addition reactions onto double and triple bonds. According to the recent advancements in the field of visible/solar light catalysis, a significant part of the literature reported herein involves radical ions and radicals as key intermediates, with particular attention to the most recent examples. Synthetic application of carbenes, biradicals/radical pairs and carbocations have been also reported.

The majority of organic reactions are commonly carried out inside a lab, under a fume hood. A particular case is that of photochemical reactions, a field where the pioneering experiments by Giacomo Ciamician demonstrated more than one century ago that different processes can be carried out outdoors, for example, on the balcony of his own department, upon exposure of the reacting mixtures to sunlight. The main problem related to this chemistry of the "window ledge" is that most organic compounds are colorless and their absorption in the solar light region is in most cases negligible. Recently, the impressive development in the use of visible light absorbing photocatalysts (e.g., Ru or Ir complexes, as well as organic dyes) made light-induced processes convenient even for non-photochemistry practitioners. It is thus possible to easily perform the reactions by simply placing the reaction vessel in a sunny place outside the lab. However, most of these processes are based on single electron transfer (SET) reactions (photoredox catalysis). Other photocatalysts able to activate substrates via alternative paths, such as hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), are emerging. In the last years, we were deeply involved in the use of the decatungstate anion ([WO], a polyoxometalate) in synthesis. Indeed, such a versatile species is able to promote the photocatalytic C-H activation of organic compounds via either SET or HAT reactions. Interestingly, though the absorption spectrum of [WO] does not extend into the visible region, it shows an overlap with solar light emission. In this Account, we provide an overview on the application of decatungstate salts as photocatalysts in window ledge chemistry. We initially discuss the nature of the photogenerated species involved in the mechanism of action of the anion, also supported by theoretical simulations. The first-formed excited state of the decatungstate anion decays rapidly to the active species, a dark state tagged wO, featuring the presence of electron-deficient oxygen centers. Next, we describe the main applications of decatungstate chemistry. A significant part of this Account is devoted to photocatalyzed synthesis (C-X bond formation, with X = C, N, O, and oxidations) carried out by adopting sunlight (or simulated solar light). This synthetic approach is versatile, and most of the reactions involved C-H activation in cycloalkanes, alkylaromatics, amides, ethers (1,4-dioxane, oxetane, benzodioxole, and THF), aldehydes, nitriles, and cyclopentanones, and the ensuing addition of the resulting radicals onto electron-deficient olefins. Finally, the increasing role of the decatungstate anion in water depollution and polymerization is briefly discussed.

Photochemical reactions have become an important tool for organic chemists. Visible (solar) light can be conveniently adopted, however, only when using colored organic compounds or in photocatalyzed processes induced by visible light absorbing photocatalysts. Herein we demonstrate that a photolabile, colored moiety could be incorporated in a colorless organic compound with the aim of generating highly reactive intermediates upon exposure to visible (solar) light. Arylazo sulfones, colored thermally stable derivatives of aryl diazonium salts, were used as valuable substrates for the photoinduced metal-free synthesis of (hetero)biaryls with no need of a (photo)catalyst or of other additives to promote the reaction. Noteworthy, selective generation of aryl radicals and aryl cations can be attained at will by varying the irradiation conditions (visible light for the former and UVA light for the latter).

Blends of PVdF-HFP and ionic liquids (ILs) are interesting for application as electrolytes in plastic Li batteries. They combine the advantages of the gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) swollen by conventional organic liquid electrolytes with the nonflammability, and high thermal and electrochemical stability of ILs. In this work we prepared and characterized PVdF-HFP composite membranes swollen with a solution of LiTFSI in ether-functionalized pyrrolidinium-imide ionic liquid (PYRA 12O1 TFSI). The membranes were filled in with two different types of silica: (i) mesoporous SiO 2 (SBA-15) and (ii) a commercial nano-size one (HiSil TM T700). The ionic conductivity and the electrochemical properties of the gel electrolytes were studied in terms of the nature of the filler. The thermal and the transport properties of the composite membranes are similar. In particular, room temperature ionic conductivities higher than 0.25 mS cm −1 are easily obtained at defined filler contents. However, the mesoporous filler guarantees higher lithium transference numbers, a more stable electrochemical interface and better cycling performances. Contrary to the HiSil TM-based membrane, the Li/LiFePO 4 cells with PVdF-HFP/PYRA 12O1 TFSI-LiTFSI films containing 10 wt% of SBA-15 show good charge/discharge capacity, columbic efficiency close to unity, and low capacity losses at medium Crates during 180 cycles.

Tetrabutylammonium decatungstate photocatalysis is effective for the C-H activation of alkanes, aldehydes, ethers and amides and the alkylation of alkenes occurs effectively by merely exposing the solution to the sun in a glass vessel on a window ledge (up to 10 g per dm(2) in a few days).

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This minireview encompasses the most recent (since 2010) advancements in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen‐atom transfer (HAT) processes for CH bond functionalization. The direct HAT process promoted from the excited state of a photocatalyst is limited to the classes of polyoxometalates and aromatic ketones, but alternative photocatalytic strategies have recently been devised to alleviate this shortcoming, making use of indirect HAT reactions. The applications of these two approaches in organic synthesis, including the formation of CC, as well as Chalogen, CO (CO), and CN bonds, are presented herein.

Recent examples of sustainable acylations by photogenerated acyl/alkoxycarbonyl/carbamoyl radicals have been discussed in this article.