Synergistic Integration of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer and Heterogeneous Photocatalysis for Promoting the Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Imidazolidines

The proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process has garnered significant attention in photocatalysis due to its ability to facilitate challenging transformations under mild conditions. By integrating PCET into heterogeneous photocatalysts, substrates can be precisely activated through the concurrent transfer of both electrons and protons between the catalyst and reaction medium. Herein, we synthesized a novel type of carbon-nitride-based photocatalyst, which can effectively drive the reaction via the PCET mechanism, enabling the three-component synthesis of unsymmetrical imidazolidines with ease.