Non-redox-metal-catalyzed redox reactions: zinc catalysts.

The advantages of zinc catalysts, such as their low toxicity, low cost, and environmentally benignity, are encouraging organic chemists to explore their applications in organic synthesis. As a non-redox metal, zinc catalysts have been investigated in redox reactions over the past few decades. Because of the importance of redox reactions, the interest in zinc catalysts, and the fact that no review on zinc-catalyzed redox reactions has been published, herein, I have collected and summarized the main contributions in this area. This review is divided into two parts: reduction reactions and oxidation reactions.