Photobiocatalytic access to lactone and lactam scaffolds

Lactones and lactams are privileged heterocyclic scaffolds widespread in natural settings, that also occupy a central role as building blocks in synthetic endeavours. Recently, spurred by the search for equally efficient and sustainable synthetic strategies, photobiocatalysis has been under the spotlight on the route to the preparation of such scaffolds. As follows from the name, photobiocatalysis is based on the merging between photocatalysis and biocatalysis, which can act synergistically in an intriguing number of modalities, either concurrent or sequential. The field has undergone tremendous development despite its young age, offering synthetic chemists a potent toolbox to access such structures, also in an asymmetric fashion (when applicable). The present Chapter describes synthetic routes to access lactones and lactams, either through the assembly of the cyclic structure or via manipulation of the pre-formed heterocyclic core, which take place in a photobiocatalytic fashion.