1. Chemical reactions in which a substance is reduced (gains electrons or hydrogen) when exposed to light, commonly used in photography and organic synthesis.
Usage: technical; chemistry; plural form of photoreduction

Examples

• Photoreductions of silver halides are fundamental to traditional black-and-white photography.
• The chemist studied photoreductions of aromatic compounds under UV light.
• Photoreductions play a key role in photosynthesis and other light-driven biochemical processes.
• Industrial applications of photoreductions include water purification and organic synthesis.
• The efficiency of photoreductions depends on the wavelength of light and the chemical composition of the substrate.