Recent Advances in Single-Electron-Transfer-Mediated Carbonylation.

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Catalysis
• Synthetic Chemistry

Background:

• Carbonylation reactions are vital for synthesizing carbonyl compounds.
• Two-electron transfer (TET) processes are widely used but have limitations.
• Single-electron transfer (SET) offers an alternative with advantages over TET.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of SET-mediated carbonylation chemistry.
• To highlight mechanistic insights, catalytic systems, and synthetic applications.
• To establish a foundation for future research in SET carbonylation.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature from 2000 to July 2025.
• Analysis of mechanistic pathways in SET carbonylation.
• Categorization of catalytic systems and synthetic applications.

Main Results:

• SET carbonylation bypasses traditional oxidative addition.
• Highly reactive radical intermediates are generated under milder conditions.
• SET offers enhanced selectivity and broader substrate compatibility compared to TET.

Conclusions:

• SET-mediated carbonylation presents a powerful alternative to TET methods.
• This approach enables more versatile and efficient synthesis of carbonyl compounds.
• Further exploration of SET strategies is encouraged for novel reactivity.