Advances in the synthesis of three-dimensional molecular architectures by dearomatizing photocycloadditions

The dearomatizing photocycloaddition reaction is a powerful and effective strategy for synthesizing complex, three-dimensional, polycyclic scaffolds from simple aromatic precursors. Generally, the dearomatizing photocycloaddition reaction is promoted by visible light and occurs via an energy transfer (EnT) process. This mini-review provides an overview of recent advances in this area (2018-2020), encompassing both intramolecular and intermolecular transformations. While the majority of the studies are centered on intramolecular processes due to their predictable regio-and stereo-selectivity, intermolecular transformations that show an exceptionally broad substrate scope are beginning to emerge. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.