Recent Advances in Site‐ and Stereocontrolled Selective Light‐Mediated Functionalizations of Monosaccharide Derivatives

Recent advances in visible‐light photochemistry have profoundly transformed the selective functionalization of carbohydrates, offering straightforward alternatives to classical protecting‐group‐based strategies. This Review highlights the emergence of photochemical methods enabling site‐ and stereocontrolled editing of monosaccharide derivatives through radical‐mediated processes. Particular emphasis is placed on minimally protected and unprotected substrates, for which selective C─H activation, epimerization, bond‐forming reactions, and skeletal editing can now be achieved under mild conditions. Recent developments in photoredox catalysis involving hydrogen‐atom transfer, electron donor–acceptor complexes, and metallaphotoredox catalysis are discussed, together with the mechanistic principles governing regio‐ and stereoselectivity.