Bioorthogonal Synthetic Chemistry Enabled by Visible-Light Photocatalysis

The field of bioorthogonal chemistry has revolutionized our ability to interrogate and manipulate biological systems at the molecular level. However, the range of chemical reactions that can operate efficiently in biological environments without interfering with the native cellular machinery, remains limited. In this context, the rapidly growing area of photocatalysis offers a promising avenue for developing new type of bioorthogonal tools. The inherent mildness, tunability, chemoselectivity, and external controllability of photocatalytic transformations make them particularly well-suited for applications in biological and living systems. This minireview summarizes recent advances in bioorthogonal photocatalytic technologies, with a particular focus on their potential to enable the selective generation of designed products within biologically relevant or living settings. Bioorthogonal chemistry has brought a revolution in our ability to interrogate and manipulate biological systems. However, the toolbox of bioorthogonal reactions is yet very limited. The field of photocatalysis offers a promising avenue for developing new type of mild and biocompatible chemical reactions, and thereby expanding the repertoire of bioorthogonal tools. This minireview summarizes recent advances in bioorthogonal photocatalytic technologies, with a particular focus on their potential for the selective generation of designed products within biorelevant or living settings. image