Toward a more sustainable photocatalysis using copper and iron

Abstract

Shifting from rare and precious metal catalysts in photochemical systems, such as ruthenium and iridium, to abundant and sustainable ones is still challenging. Copper and iron are fascinating, given their relative abundance and economic advantage. While the conception of copper and iron luminophores for the application in catalysis is faced with the undesirable rapid deactivation of photoactive states, making intermolecular redox exchange inefficient, the harnessing of copper and iron's propensity to perform fast ligand exchange and accommodation of radical intermediates enabled their successful implementation in photocatalysis. This review underscores the rapid growth of copper and iron in photocatalysis as green and sustainable alternatives, highlighting the unique catalytic features they offer.