Owing to their extraordinary properties, carbon allotrope nanostructures are in the pole position of materials toward a sustainable planet. Fullerene-, carbon nanotube- and graphene-based nanomaterials have been employed efficiently as metal-free photocatalysts into organic transformations. In this review, the progress on the field of photochemical carbocatalysis and its perspectives are mentioned.

Abstract

Synthetic photochemistry is a research field, where organic transformations are promoted by the presence of photoactive species, under light irradiation. In particular, the sub-field of photoorganocatalysis, where organic molecules are used as photocatalysts, has been launched as a “green” and sustainable approach. Carbon allotrope nanostructures (CANs) and their derivatives exhibit unique photophysical and photochemical properties, which have been exploited for the preparation of efficient metal-free and sustainable photocatalytic systems. This review summarizes the progress on the field of photochemical carbocatalysis, presenting the achievements by fullerene-, carbon nanotube- and graphene-based nanomaterials. Additionally, future prospects for CAN-based nanomaterials as photochemical promoters for organic transformations are also mentioned.