Photochemistry and total synthesis are deeply rooted in the history of organic chemistry, each developing independently while also intersecting frequently. Indeed, mild reaction conditions, versatility of transformations, and complementary selectivities to thermal methods make photochemistry an especially powerful tool for the synthesis of complex target molecules. In this Review, we highlight recent examples of total syntheses (from 2020 to 2025) featuring photochemical reactions as pivotal steps. Although the application of photochemistry in total synthesis has been consistently reviewed throughout the past decades, we feel that the wider emergence of photocatalytic methods, together with the continued importance of certain direct irradiation approaches, warrants its own discussion. We hope that our analytical approach and strategic insights will help us to identify cases where photochemical reactions could prove useful, thereby further encouraging their use in total syntheses.

This review is the next installment of an annual series that discusses the synthetic routes to access 28 small molecule drugs that were approved worldwide in 2023. A brief description of each drug’s m...

First-time disclosures session at ACS Fall 2025 reveals diverse candidates for treating sickle cell disease, heart failure, cancer, and more

This review is the next installment of an annual series that discusses the synthetic routes to access 28 small molecule drugs that were approved worldwide in 2023. A brief description of each drug’s m...

Targeted covalent inhibitors are powerful entities in drug discovery, but their application has so far mainly been limited to addressing cysteine residues. The development of cysteine-directed covalen...

Forschende der Universität zu Köln zeigen, dass COVID-19-Impfstoffe auf der Grundlage von mRNA das angeborene Immunsystem langfristig prägen. Diese Mechanismen können bewirken, dass der menschliche Kö...

We here report the use of a sterically tuned 2-fluoro-1-methylpyridinium salt for the catalyst-free, visible-light-mediated deoxygenative transformation of alcohols through alkoxypyridinium intermedia...

A user-friendly, shelf-stable protonated betaine reagent (BEHT triflate), derived from Mitsunobu reagents, has been developed to enable the direct displacement of alcohols using primary and secondary....

SCF–FBXO31 scans proteins for C-terminal amidation and marks them for subsequent proteasomal degradation.