Recent Progress in Visible Light-Mediated Synthesis of γ-lactams

The integration of sustainable practices, such as employing renewable light sources for synthesizing valuable synthetic scaffolds, has been progressing over the past few decades. Among these noteworthy organic frameworks, lactams, particularly γ-lactams, have established their prominence due to their extensive applications in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and medicinal domains. This growing significance of γ-lactams has spurred considerable interest in their synthesis, especially via milder, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly methods. In recent years, numerous innovative reaction mechanisms have been explored, highlighting how photocatalysis can enable the formation of γ-lactams from readily accessible precursors through C−N bond formation and cyclization processes. This review emphasizes the potential of photocatalytic strategies to not only enhance current synthetic methods for γ-lactams but also foster the development of greener and more sustainable chemical processes for the future.