The objective of the here reported project is to explore the feasibility of an effective ligand-to-metal charge transfer in pure water as the reaction solvent. We use Fe(III)Cl3•6H2O in aqueous solution. Upon exposure to near UV light, homolysis of the Fe-Cl bond is induced in the complex. The resulting electrophilic chlorine radical abstracts hydrogen atoms from aliphatic C-H reactants, generating nucleophilic carbon-centred radicals that subsequently react with various electron-poor alkenes (Scheme 1, c). To enhance yields, simple sugar alcohols and cinchonidin derivatives were employed to increase the water solubility of the organic starting materials. Additionally, lowering the reaction temperature resulted in a positive impact on the reaction kinetics, leading to accelerated rates. Scheme 1. Literature reports about LMCT in water (a and b) and our approach (c).