Single Electron Transfer in Radical Ion and Radical-Mediated Organic, Materials and Polymer Synthesis

The article discusses the mechanisms and the applications in organic synthesis, materials, supramolecular, and polymer synthesis of most organic reactions mediated by single electron transfer. Each reaction or class of reactions will be discussed by starting with the original discovery publication, followed by a summary of all or most review articles published in the field, and a discussion of the mechanism(s) and of the most important methodologic and synthetic developments since the most recent review was published. The mechanisms of most organic reactions are considered to proceed by two-electron transfer pathways, even though both biology and radical chemistry rely extensively on one-electron transfer processes. Radicals generated by homolytic cleavage at high temperature were traditionally employed in the industrial production of polymers and to a lesser extent in the synthesis of organic molecules.