Metal/photoredox-catalyzed C(sp3)-C(sp3) cross-electrophile coupling

doi:10.6023/cjoc202603047

Chinese Journal of Organic Chemistry

REVIEW

金属-光协同催化的C(sp³)-C(sp³)还原偶联

郑湧龙^✝, 罗鑫龙^✝, 徐裕敏, 霍浩华^*

厦门大学化学化工学院福建厦门 361005

收稿日期:2026-03-31 修回日期:2026-05-10
作者简介:^✝共同第一作者.
基金资助:
国家重点研发计划（2023YFA1507202 & 2021YFA1502500）和国家自然科学基金面上项目（22471228）资助项目

Metal/photoredox-catalyzed C(sp³)-C(sp³) cross-electrophile coupling

Zheng Yonglong^✝, Luo Xinlong^✝, Xu Yumin, Huo Haohua^*

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005

Received:2026-03-31 Revised:2026-05-10
Contact: ^*E-mail: hhuo@xmu.edu.cn.
About author:^✝The authors contributed equally to this work.
Supported by:
National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFA1507202 & 2021YFA1502500) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (22471228).

Cooperative base metal- and photoredox-catalyzed C(sp³)-C(sp³) cross-electrophile coupling (XEC) has emerged as a powerful strategy for the construction of sp³-rich molecular architectures prevalent in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and bioactive compounds. By integrating photoredox and base metal catalysis, these methods enable direct C(sp³)-C(sp³) bond formation from abundant electrophilic precursors under mild conditions, circumventing the need for sensitive organometallic reagents. This review comprehensively surveys recent advances in metal/photoredox-catalyzed C(sp³)-C(sp³) XECs, focusing on nickel-, cobalt-, copper-, and iron-catalyzed systems. We critically analyze mechanistic insights, reaction design principles, substrate scope, and emerging applications, with particular attention to stereochemical control and functional group tolerance. Persistent challenges include limited reductant diversity, the nascent development of enantioselective variants, and the underexplored potential of non-nickel base metals. This review provides a detailed understanding of the current landscape and outlines future directions to expand the synthetic utility of C(sp³)-C(sp³) XEC in complex molecule synthesis.

Key words: Metal/photoredox catalysis, XEC, C(sp³)-C(sp³) coupling

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Zheng Yonglong, Luo Xinlong, Xu Yumin, Huo Haohua. Metal/photoredox-catalyzed C(sp³)-C(sp³) cross-electrophile coupling[J]. Chinese Journal of Organic Chemistry, doi: 10.6023/cjoc202603047.

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金属-光协同催化的C(sp³)-C(sp³)还原偶联

Metal/photoredox-catalyzed C(sp³)-C(sp³) cross-electrophile coupling

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金属-光协同催化的C(sp3)-C(sp3)还原偶联