Cover Feature: Visible Light Promoted Site‐Specific Functionalization of α‐Acyloxy Carboxamides: Unlocking a Forbidden Chemical Space in the Passerini Reaction (Chem. Eur. J. 50/2024)

Transforming the impossible into the possible: A chemical astronaut exploits blue light irradiation to activate Passerini products containing a Hantzsch ester. This modern method facilitates the generation of α-acyloxyamide radicals, which can be trapped by suitable Michael acceptors, enabling the exploration of a novel chemical space. The new Passerini products obtained formally derive from “impossible aldehydes”. More information can be found in the Research Article by G. Papeo, G. C. Tron and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202402175).