Recent Advances in Free Radical Chemistry of C-C Bond Formation in Aqueous Media: From Mechanistic Origins to Applications

Recent advances in free radical chemistry have expanded the versatility and flexibility of carbon-carbon bond formation in water or aqueous media. This review highlights the substantial progress, which has been made in the last decade to “tame” the reactive free radical species in aqueous phase reactions. This review focused on recent advances in several classes of widely useful free radical reactions in water leading to the formation of C-C bonds. The review will also explore the recent advances in performing stereo-selective free radical reactions in an aqueous medium and its application in synthesis of natural and unnatural amino acids, preparation of novel materials and solid support chemistry. Some practical hints for help design high yielding free radical reactions in aqueous medium are also presented.