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A pyridinium-based photocatalyst possessing both redox-active and hydrogen acceptor sites has been developed for the conversion of lignin models to afford benzaldehyde and phenyl formate as the main products through selective cleavage of C–C bonds.

A mild and efficient photocatalytic C–H bond activation strategy has been developed by combining redox-active and Brønsted basic dual sites to offer a concerted pathway for H abstraction through concomitant proton and electron transfer.

A bifunctional photocatalyst combining a redox center and a Lewis acid site has been developed for one-pot tandem oxidation–acetalization, which involves pyridinium-mediated molecular oxygen activation, as well as Lewis-acid promoted acetalization.

An eco-friendly and economical approach for the photocatalytic oxidation of organic inter-mediates by air under mild conditions is highly desirable in green and sustainable chemistry, where the photogeneration of active oxygen species plays a key role in improving conversion efficiency and selectivity. By using pyridinium derivatives as molecular mediators for electron transfer and energy transfer, the simultaneous activation of O2 from air into superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen species can be achieved, and a photoinduced electron transfer catalytic system for the oxidation of alcohols has been developed. Thus, we have successfully simplified the complicated catalytic system into a single molecular catalyst without any additional noble metals and co-catalysts/additives. The current photocatalytic system shows high catalytic efficiency not only for aromatic alcohols but also for aliphatic alcohols that are generally difficult to undergo aerobic oxidation at room temperature under air atmosphere, representing an ideal photocatalytic platform for green and economical organic syntheses.

Photoinduced bending behavior triggered by [2 + 2] cycloaddition of a photoactive complex has been successfully achieved, accompanied by photochromic and fluorescence changes that provide convenience for long-distance observation of photomechanical motion. The key design feature is based on the introduction of flexible methylene groups and cation-π interactions. Moreover, the potential application in photomechanical devices was reflected by bending and supporting force experiments on the complex composite film, which is of increasing importance especially in soft actuators and robots.

A pyridinium-based complex with environment-friendly and earth-abundant Zn

Surface modification based on a photo-induced electron transfer (PET) reaction in a pyridinium-decorated MOF material was found to be effective in regulating adsorption capacity. The current system enables the adsorption behavior to be manipulated based on variable affinity toward guest molecules through the redistribution of charge population with the preservation of the original pore structure, which is different from the prevalent approaches depending on photoinduced changes in molecular configurations of the pore backbone.