Tailorable carbazolyl cyanobenzene-based photocatalysts for visible light-induced reduction of aryl halides

Herein, a series of carbazolyl cyanobenzene (CCB)-based organic photocatalysts with a broad range of photoredox capabilities were designed and synthesized, allowing precise control of the photocatalytic reactivity for the controllable reduction of aryl halides via a metal-free process. The screened-out CCB (5CzBN), a metal-free, low-cost, scalable and sustainable photocatalyst with both strong oxidative and reductive ability, exhibits superior performance for both dehalogenation and CC bond-forming arylation reactions.