Low-energy photoredox catalysis.

With the advent of photoredox catalysis, new synthetic paradigms have been established with many novel transformations being achieved. Nevertheless, modern photoredox chemistry has several drawbacks, namely, deficiencies in reaction efficiency and scalability. Furthermore, wavelengths of light in excess of the energy required for a chemical reaction are often used.

Photocatalytic Activation of Aryl(trifluoromethyl) Diazos to Carbenes for High-Resolution Protein Labeling with Red Light.

State-of-the-art methods in photoproximity labeling center on the targeted generation and capture of short-lived reactive intermediates to provide a snapshot of local protein environments. Diazirines are the current gold standard for high-resolution proximity labeling, generating short-lived aryl(trifluoromethyl) carbenes. Here, we present a method to access aryl(trifluoromethyl) carbenes from a stable diazo source tissue-penetrable, deep red to near-infrared light (600-800 nm).

Targeted activation in localized protein environments via deep red photoredox catalysis.

State-of-the-art photoactivation strategies in chemical biology provide spatiotemporal control and visualization of biological processes. However, using high-energy light (λ < 500 nm) for substrate or photocatalyst sensitization can lead to background activation of photoactive small-molecule probes and reduce its efficacy in complex biological environments. Here we describe the development of targeted aryl azide activation via deep red-light (λ = 660 nm) photoredox catalysis and its use in photocatalysed proximity labelling.