Hydroquinone/Quinone Cycle for Reductive Photocatalytic Transformations
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Phenanthrenehydroquinones (H 2 PQs), generated in situ from phenanthrenequinones under visible light using alcohols as hydrogen sources, act as catalytic organic photoreductants. They deoxygenate efficiently diverse N-heterocyclic N -oxides, including substrates having more negative reduction potentials than the H 2 PQ excited-state reduction potential ( E H 2 P Q + · / H 2 P Q * = −2.10 V vs SCE), suggesting hydrogen bonding assisted electron transfer. TD-DFT calculations indicate H 2 PQs act as both photoacids and photoreductants. This work demonstrates the harnessing of the hydroquinone/quinone cycle in visible-light-driven reductions.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Radical Photochemical Reactions
Photochromic and Fluorescence Chemistry
Catalytic C–H Functionalization Methods
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Organic Letters
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 971–976
- Publication date
- 8 January 2026
- Language
- EN