Photocatalysis as an Auspicious Synthetic Route Towards Nitrogen Containing Organic Compounds

One of the main targets of chemical (as well as of other) research, nowadays, is to explore energy efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic routes to address the increasing global demand for energy and to reduce the use and the production of harmful chemicals. Photocatalytic synthesis routes are assumed to be alternative and promising eco-friendly methods for the production of organic compounds utilizing solar energy. The photoinduced charge separation occurring on the semiconductor surface simultaneously creates reduction and oxidation centers. This unique feature allows multisteps reactions to be carried out on the surface of a single photocatalyst particle. The fact that complex nitrogen containing organic compounds can be easily synthesized by this photocatalytic method starting from simple substrates is of great importance. However, numerous efforts are still required to enhance the efficiency of these photocatalytic reactions as well as to explore new aspects in this field. Previous reports demonstrate that different valuable nitrogen containing organic compounds can be photocatalytically synthesized starting even from simple molecules such as dinitrogen and hydrocarbons. The main results of these reports are being highlighted herein.