Zhiwei Zuo

The quest for sustainable synthesis demands catalytic paradigms that transcend the limitations of noble metals, high energy consumption, and hazardous reagents. Visible-light photocatalysis has emerged as a transformative strategy, with its greatest promise lying in the selective activation of inert C–H and C–C bonds. We have developed a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) platform that embeds oxidative activation within the excitation event, thereby achieving site-specific bond activation with remarkable selectivity. This strategy unlocks powerful radical pathways, including Ce-catalyzed methane functionalization, Fe-catalyzed aerobic carbonylation, and Ti-catalyzed stereochemical editing—all under mild and sustainable conditions. Collectively, these advances establish LMCT catalysis as a general platform for open-shell transformations, expanding the synthetic repertoire and redefining the frontiers of sustainable molecular construction.