Radical Chemistry in Organic Synthesis II

Ketones are highly versatile building blocks present in countless natural products. This talk will explore the diverse reactivity of ketones under photocatalytic and electrochemical conditions, showcasing their potential for enabling a wide range of functionalizations to construct complex molecular structures.

In this presentation, I will focus on two different topics from my research group, moving from the design of new photosensitizers to the development of powerful redox catalysts

1. Based on experimental evidences and mechanistic information, we have identify and structurally optimized a new family of photosensitiser.[1] This class of molecules is characterized by a short S1-T1 gap. We observed and increased selectivity in the strain-release functionalization of azabyclic (abb) scaffolds. This new reaction manifold grants access to highly functionalized azetidine scaffolds.

2. We have designed and developed two new classes of photoredox catalysts (PCs) capable of activating diverse types of redox inert substrates. To do so, we have used i) a catalytic proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) manifold;[2] and ii) an unconventional regenerative photocatalytic mechanism.[3]

I will share some recent stories about how we applied new knowledge about the polarity of radicals and carbenes to develop important new synthetic methods.