Synthesis of Cyclic Compounds via Photoinduced Radical Cyclization Cascade of C=C bonds

Cyclic compounds constitute a great important class of substances in the science of medicine and biology, which renders the research on facile and efficient construction of such complex scaffolds from simple starting materials to be hot and appealing. Recently, the radical cascade reaction involving multiple bond formation/cleavage has emerged as an ideal and powerful route to give high-value cyclic products, along with diminished cost and waste. As a simple and benign methodology, photoredox catalysis offers a readily available access to the generation of radical species. Alkenes have been recognized as one of the most valuable building blocks for the reason they allow installation of different functional groups simultaneously through addition to the C=C bonds. This account summarizes the recent advances in photoinduced radical cascade cyclization to the synthesis of cyclic compounds with C=C bonds working as the initial radical acceptors, and emphasis is put on the related reaction mechanisms.