Virtual Lecture: Organic Synthesis Away from Equilibrium

Lecture held on: November 17, 2021

Presenter

Prof. Robert R. Knowles – Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

Inspired by biological photosynthesis and advances in solar fuels chemistry, Prof. R. Knowles’ lab has become interested in light driven strategies for organic synthesis wherein excited state redox events serve to facilitate thermodynamically unfavorable transformations. These electron transfer based schemes provide a general mechanism for driving reactions in opposition to a thermodynamic gradient by selectively channeling the energy from photon absorption events. However, they are applicable to a wider range of substrates and reaction types than direct excitation or energy transfer based photochemical approaches. Several recent projects were discussed, including the intermolecular anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of olefins, C-C bond functionalization processes enabled by the PCET activation of aliphatic alcohols, and light-driven deracemization reactions.