Excited state catalysis in chemical synthesis

The modern world relies on chemical synthesis in order to build the pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials that form the basis of modern life.

The overall objective of this research program concerns the development of synthetic methodologies that are driven by visible light.

The purpose is to use low-energy visible light in combination with either redox- or energy transfer catalysis to mediate formerly inaccessible or challenging synthetic manifolds.

For achieving this, photocatalysis will be exploited for selective and controlled activation of strong/unreactive chemical bonds, such as carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds, through free-radical processes.The research program provides a framework for expediting nontraditional bond constructions and redefining the synthetic repertoire by integrating innovative approaches for generating and utilizing radical intermediates in coupled processes as well as cooperative catalytic systems.

The conceived synthetic methodologies provide opportunities for dramatically simplifying synthetic chemistry and will streamline access to, for example, valuable pharmacophores, materials and biologically relevant targets within fundamental and applied research.

This will deliver a platform for accessing molecular complexity in a controlled and straightforward fashion that is aligned with prevailing sustainability principles, affording a strategic paradigm for accessing modular building blocks for early- or late-stage synthetic efforts.