Recent advances in visible light-induced C(sp3)–N bond formation

Synthetic chemists have long focused on selective C(sp3)–N bond-forming approaches in response to the high value of this motif in natural products, pharmaceutical agents and functional materials. In recent years, visible light-induced protocols have become an important synthetic platform to promote this transformation under mild reaction conditions. These photo-driven methods rely on converting visible light into chemical energy to generate reactive but controllable radical species. This Review highlights recent advances in this area, mostly after 2014, with an emphasis placed on C(sp3)–H bond activations, including amination of olefins and carbonyl compounds, and cross-coupling reactions.