Recent advances in the radical-mediated decyanative alkylation of cyano(hetero)arene

Substituted pyridines are very important skeleton in natural products, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, which not only can be used to synthesis chiral ligands and functional materials but also as building blocks in the construction of new photo- or electrochemical properties. As a result, much efforts have been developed towards the synthesis of such compounds. Given the great influence of these synthesis methodologies in organic chemistry, we summarize recent progress of the radical-mediated decyanative alkylation reactions of cyano(hetero)arene via photo/electrochemistry via a radical pathway, in which C(sp3)-H, C(sp2)-H, C–C or C-hetero bonds are cleavaged and a new C–C bond is formed. We also discussed the mechanisms of these radical decyanative alkylation reactions.