Photochemistry, the use of light to promote organic transformations, has been known for more than a century but only recently has revolutionized the way modern chemists are thinking. Except from transition metal-based complexes, small organic molecules have been introduced as catalysts or initiators. In this review, we summarize the potential that (aromatic or aliphatic) aldehydes have as photoinitiators. The photophysical properties and photoreactivity of benzaldehyde are initially provided, followed by applications of aldehydes as initiators for polymerization reactions. Finally, the applications to date regarding aldehydes as photoinitiators in organic synthesis are presented.

中文翻译：

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醛是光化学转化的强大引发剂。

光化学是利用光促进有机转化的方法，已经有一个多世纪的历史了，但是直到最近才改变了现代化学家的思维方式。除了基于过渡金属的配合物外，还引入了小的有机分子作为催化剂或引发剂。在这篇综述中，我们总结了（芳香或脂肪族）醛作为光引发剂的潜力。首先提供苯甲醛的光物理性质和光反应性，然后使用醛作为聚合反应的引发剂。最后，介绍了迄今为止关于醛在有机合成中作为光引发剂的应用。