Aromatic hydrocarbons as catalysts and mediators in photoinduced electron transfer reactions

Aromatic hydrocarbons are frequently used as catalysts and mediators in photoinduced electron transfer reactions. For more than forty years, significant developments in this field have helped to expand the general understanding of free radical chemistry and to pave the way for today's era of visible light photoredox catalysis. This article reviews these developments and the impact they have had alongside modern applications of aromatic hydrocarbons in photoinduced electron transfer chemistry. The theoretical background as well as future prospects of such reactions are explained with a focus on organic synthesis.