Photochemical reactions enable access to reactive intermediates and bond-forming pathways that are often inaccessible under conventional thermal conditions. Among these, photoredox catalysis has become a powerful method for generating radicals, but it typically relies on multistep electron- and energy-transfer processes that can limit the efficiency and design of reaction. Herein, we present the development of borate complexes that can be directly excited by light to generate carbon-centered radicals, which provides a simpler and more versatile alternative to the aforementioned methods. The initial boracene-based systems enable visible-light-driven cleavage of carbon–boron bonds to form alkyl radicals with strong reducing capability. To improve functional group compatibility, a second-generation complex prepared from widely available boronic acids was developed. These systems enable diverse reactions, including carbon–carbon bond formation and transformations of biologically relevant molecules. Furthermore, extension to deep-red and near-infrared light allows radical generation under lower-energy irradiation, which is advantageous for practical and biological applications. Finally, this approach enables a new type of photocaged molecule that releases bioactive compounds with precise spatial and temporal control, as demonstrated for acetylcholine in cellular and neural imaging. These studies highlight the direct excitation of borate complexes as a versatile platform for bridging synthetic chemistry and chemical biology.

Population outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a major issue in the management of coral ecosystems. Elucidating foraging behavioral patterns in COTS caused by chemoreception is important understand because chemoreception is the principal sensory modality for prey detection in Asteroidea. Using Y-maze behavioral assays, we quantified how reproductive phase (pre- vs. post-spawning) and seawater temperature modulate (i) locomotor activity and (ii) odor-guided orientation toward live-coral cues in adult COTS. Elevated seawater temperature was associated with increased locomotion in COTS, likely caused by temperature-driven increases in metabolic rate. Y-maze experiments further indicated that COTS orientation toward prey chemical cues was greater during the pre-spawning period than during the post-spawning period. In line with heightened pre-reproductive nutritional demand, COTS were significantly more attracted to coral-derived chemical cues before spawning than afterward. These findings provide the first quantitative evidence that chemosensory-driven foraging in COTS is modulated by reproductive phase and seawater temperature.