Researchers at the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD) have developed a new method that uses cooperating catalysts to carry out dearomative carboxylation reactions, which involves disrupting stable aromatic systems. In this process, highly reactive CO2 radical anions are derived from inexpensive formate salts and used to produce products such as α-amino acids, which are useful in drug development. The reaction involves two separate catalysts – a photoredox catalyst and a hydrogen atom transfer catalyst – which cooperate with each other and generate highly reactive CO2 radical anions upon exposure to blue light. The study represents an environmentally friendly and commercially viable solution for dearomative carboxylation reactions.