Acridinium Salts and Cyanoarenes as Powerful Photocatalysts: Opportunities in Organic Synthesis

Abstract The use of organic photocatalysts has revolutionized the field of photoredox catalysis, as it allows access to reactivities that were traditionally restricted to transition‐metal photocatalysts. This Minireview reports recent developments in the use of acridinium ions and cyanoarene derivatives in organic synthesis. The activation of inert chemical bonds as well as the late‐stage functionalization of biorelevant molecules are discussed, with a special focus on their mechanistic aspects.