Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:26

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

1.8K
The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
1.8K
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview01:26

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview

2.3K
Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.
2.3K
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:17

Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

2.0K
The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
2.0K
Cycloaddition Reactions: MO Requirements for Photochemical Activation01:12

Cycloaddition Reactions: MO Requirements for Photochemical Activation

2.0K
Some cycloaddition reactions are activated by heat, while others are initiated by light. For example, a [2 + 2] cycloaddition between two ethylene molecules occurs only in the presence of light. It is photochemically allowed but thermally forbidden.
2.0K
Pericyclic Reactions: Introduction01:17

Pericyclic Reactions: Introduction

8.2K
Pericyclic reactions are organic reactions that occur via a concerted mechanism without generating any intermediates. The reactions proceed through the movement of electrons in a closed loop to form a cyclic transition state, where rearrangement of the σ and π bonds yields specific products.
Pericyclic reactions can be classified into three categories: electrocyclic reactions, cycloaddition reactions, and sigmatropic rearrangements. Electrocyclic reactions and sigmatropic...
8.2K
Catalysis02:50

Catalysis

26.7K
The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.
26.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Olefination of Alcohols and Alkyl Halides via Oxidative Alkyl Electrophile-Olefin Metathesis.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

Skeletal-Isomeric Scaffold Design Enables a Dipyrazole[3,4-<i>b</i>;4',3'-<i>e</i>]pyrazine Platform for High-Density Energetic Materials.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

An Insensitive Energetic Material as a High-Performance Organic Cathode Toward Dual-Mode Batteries.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Interrogating the Carboxylation of Potassium β-Diketonates and β-Diketiminates by Carbon Dioxide.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Electrochemical Indole Skeletal Editing via Single-Carbon Atom Insertion.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Carbonyl Modifying Bridge Strategy: Constructing High-Energy and Low-Sensitivity Energetic Materials.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025
Same journal

Synthetic Porous Carbons for High-Energy, High-Power Supercapacitors.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Navigating Misfolded Terrain: ER-Associated Degradation of Membrane Proteins.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Ink Design for Printing Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Advanced Single-Atom Catalysts for Thermal-Catalytic C1 Chemistry.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

Copper-Dependent Polysaccharide Monooxygenases: Mechanism and Function.

Chemical reviews·2026
Same journal

To Biotic or Abiotic: Biohybrid Systems for Artificial Photosynthesis.

Chemical reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
09:58

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation

Published on: May 22, 2016

10.7K

Electrophotocatalysis for Organic Synthesis.

Matthew C Lamb1, Keri A Steiniger1, Leslie K Trigoura1

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.

Chemical Reviews
|October 23, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electrophotocatalysis combines light and electricity for organic synthesis. This hybrid approach offers new methods for complex molecule construction, including C-H functionalization and cross-coupling reactions.

More Related Videos

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions
07:12

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Published on: July 17, 2020

6.2K
[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
09:12

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

9.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
09:58

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation

Published on: May 22, 2016

10.7K
Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions
07:12

Cercosporin-Photocatalyzed [4+1]- and [4+2]-Annulations of Azoalkenes Under Mild Conditions

Published on: July 17, 2020

6.2K
[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
09:12

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

9.2K

Area of Science:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Synthetic Methodology

Background:

  • Electrocatalysis and photocatalysis are established methods in organic synthesis.
  • Recent years have seen a surge in interest in combining these two modalities into electrophotocatalysis.
  • This hybrid strategy leverages photons and electric potential for enhanced reactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in electrophotocatalysis for organic synthesis.
  • To highlight the benefits of combining electrochemistry and photocatalysis.
  • To categorize electrophotocatalytic transformations into oxidative, reductive, and redox-neutral reactions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing photons as reagents and electric potential as an electron source/sink.
  • Employing a diverse range of catalysts, including metal and organocatalysts.
  • Focusing on open-shell photocatalysts, which are readily generated via electrochemistry.

Main Results:

  • Development of novel methods for C-H functionalization, reductive cross-coupling, and olefin addition.
  • Demonstration of electrophotocatalysis's versatility with various catalyst types.
  • Successful generation of reactive open-shell species using electrochemistry.

Conclusions:

  • Electrophotocatalysis is a rapidly growing field with significant potential in organic synthesis.
  • The synergy between electrochemistry and photocatalysis enables unique synthetic transformations.
  • This review provides a comprehensive overview of current electrophotocatalytic methods.