RÉSUMÉ
Bicycloalkanes, cubanes and their structural analogues have emerged as bioisosteres of (hetero)arenes. To meet increasing demand, the chemical community has developed a plethora of novel synthetic methods. In this review, we assess the progress made in the field of light-driven construction and functionalization of such relevant molecules. We have focused on diverse structural targets, as well as on reaction processes giving access to: (i) [1.1.1]-bicyclopentanes (BCPs); (ii) [2.2.1]-bicyclohexanes (BCHs); (iii) [3.1.1]-bicycloheptanes (BCHeps); and (iv) cubanes; as well as other structurally related scaffolds. Finally, future perspectives dealing with the identification of novel reaction manifolds to access new functionalized bioisosteric units are discussed.