Recent advances in the synthesis of heterocycles and pharmaceuticals from the photo-electrochemical fixation of carbon dioxide

Abstract

In recent years, the deployment of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a renewable and benign building block in the assembly of bioactive heterocycles and pharmaceuticals has become one of the most appealing topics in the CO2 utilization. In this context, the photo/electrochemical approaches are acknowledged as powerful toolkits in the manufacture of CO2-based heterocycles and pharmaceuticals, which enables the CO2 valorization to take place in a more mild-mannered and eco-friendly conditions with respect to other chemical patterns. In this review, several typical examples on the photo/electrochemical fixation of CO2 into divergent heterocyclic scaffolds and important pharmaceuticals are highlighted. Furthermore, the detailed mechanistic descriptions of various synthetic paradigms are also described to provide a better understanding on the success of these strategies.