Visible light photoredox-controlled reactions of N-radicals and radical ions

Radicals are an important class of versatile and highly reactive species. Compared with the wide applications of various C-centred radicals, however, the N-radical species including N-centred radicals and radical ions remain largely unexplored due to the lack of convenient methods for their generation. In recent years, visible light photoredox catalysis has emerged as a powerful platform for the generation of various N-radical species and methodology development towards the synthesis of diverse N-containing compounds. In this tutorial review, we highlight recent advances in this rapidly developing area with particular emphases put on the working models and new reaction design.