Recent Progresses in the Preparation of Chlorinated Molecules: Electrocatalysis and Photoredox Catalysis in the Spotlight

Abstract

Among halogenated molecules, those containing chlorine atoms are fundamental in many areas such as pharmaceuticals, polymers, agrochemicals and natural metabolites. Despite the fact that many reactions have been developed to install chlorine on organic molecules, most of them rely on toxic and hazardous chlorinating reagents as well as harsh conditions. In an attempt to move towards more sustainable approaches, photoredox catalysis and electrocatalysis have emerged as powerful alternatives to traditional methods. In this review, we collect the most recent and significant examples of visible-light- or current-mediated chlorination published in the last five years.

Keywords

• chlorination
• photoredox catalysis
• electrocatalysis
• visible light
• halogenation