Recent Advances in Photoacid Catalysis for Organic Synthesis

Abstract Photoacids are molecules that become more acidic upon the absorption of light. This short review highlights recent advances in the use of photoacids as catalysts for organic synthesis. Photoacid-catalyzed­ transformations discussed herein include: Protonation, glycosylation, acetalization, and arylation reactions. 1 Introduction 2 Protonation: Excited-State Proton Transfer (ESPT) 3 Glycosylation 4 Acetalization 5 Friedel–Crafts Arylation 6 Additional C–C and C–S Bond-Forming Reactions 7 Conclusion