Exploring Novel Catalytic Manifolds in Radical Chemistry – from Samarium Catalysis to Photoredox

Radical species are crucial in modern synthetic chemistry for enabling bond formations often inaccessible by classical methods. This thesis explores catalytic strategies to generate and control radicals for selective bond-forming reactions, focusing on photoredox catalysis and samarium(II) iodide (SmI₂) methods. These mild approaches activate inert substrates, enabling efficient carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond formation. Mechanistic studies provide insight into radical pathways and guide catalyst design. Together, these strategies expand the scope of radical chemistry and modern synthetic methods.