{
  "abstract": "The diverse synthetic applications offered by the — so far not widely explored — excited-state catalysis has intensified the need for development of new EnT catalysts. Herein, we uncover the high efficiency of an unrecognized class, aromatic aldehydes, as EnT photocatalysts. Structure-catalytic efficiency relationship studies on a wide range of common, commercially available and cheap aromatic aldehydes led to the discovery that several aldehydes, for example biphenyl-4-carboxaldehyde, 1-naphthaldehyde and 2-methoxy-1-naphthaldehyde, are highly efficient catalysts for [2+2] cycloadditions and isomerizations under UVA irradiation. To explore the theoretical underpinnings of this catalysis, computational studies combined with principal component analysis suggested that both energy factors and aromaticity/antiaromaticity of ground and excited states contribute to the overall outcome. A wide substrate scope for cyclobutanes/cyclobutenes construction by the addition of alkenes/alkynes to N -arylmaleimides along with dimethyl fumarate isomerization and the dimerization of cinnamates to truxinates demonstrated the wide potential of aromatic aldehydes, expanding the EnT photocatalyst-space.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, Greece, 15771",
    "Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, Greece, 15771",
    "Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., Athens, Greece, 11635"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Maria A. Theodoropoulou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Christiana Mantzourani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Olga G. Mountanea"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "E. Alexandros Routsi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Naya A. Stini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Stamatis K. Serviou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Charikleia S. Batsika"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Demeter Tzeli"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christoforos G Kokotos",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4762-7682"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "George Kokotos"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x0bdecsnm954.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008199/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "9x0bdecsnm954",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008199/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1605|Radical Photochemical Reactions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7205013507",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008199/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-02",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x0bdecsnm954.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008199",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008199/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1605|Radical Photochemical Reactions",
      "subfield": "organic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Uncovering the high efficiency of aromatic aldehydes as energy transfer photocatalysts",
  "title_text": "Uncovering the high efficiency of aromatic aldehydes as energy transfer photocatalysts",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9x0bdecsnm954",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}