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How to train free radicals for organic synthesis? A modern approach

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Abstract

In this review, the journey of free radicals, from being shrewdly untamable until its emergence as a powerful tool in chemistry, has been tracked. A modern perspective on the generation of radicals has been offered through the lens of photoredox, metal mediation, redox-active scaffolds, and EDA complexes. Spotlight has been on the catalysis of radical reactions harboring unique strategies like smart initiation, electron and hole catalysis, and polarity reversal catalysis.

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Acknowledgements

VG thanks Ramanujan Fellowship (RJN-2018/085) for the financial support. The authors thank IIT Kharagpur for the infrastructure provided.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721 302, India

    Aankhi Khamrai & Venkataraman Ganesh

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  1. Aankhi Khamrai
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  2. Venkataraman Ganesh
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Correspondence to Venkataraman Ganesh.

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Khamrai, A., Ganesh, V. How to train free radicals for organic synthesis? A modern approach. J Chem Sci 133, 5 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12039-020-01868-0

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