Why not deploy photocatalysts developed for solar chemical technologies for green organic synthesis?

Many semiconductors or photoelectrodes have been developed for solar fuel synthesis and we are interested in used those heterogenous, hybrid or semi-artificial catalysts for organic photocatalysis. We are particularly interested in replacing expensive and toxic photocatalysts currently being used or develop by truly scalable, inexpensive and non-toxic alternatives. The goal is to develop light-driven, high-yield organic transformations and establish a sustainable organic and pharmaceuticals industry.

Selected recent publications

Synthetic organic design for solar fuel systems.

Warnan, J.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 17344-17354.

Organic Semiconductor-BiVO4 Tandem Devices for Solar-Driven H2O and CO2 Splitting.

Yeung, C. W. S.; Andrei, V.; Lee, T. H.; Durrant, J. R.; Reisner, E. Adv. Mater., 2024, 36, 2404110.

An integrated carbon nitride-nickel photocatalyst for the amination of aryl halides using sodium azide.

Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e202203176.

Bridging plastic recycling and organic catalysis: photocatalytic deconstruction of polystyrene via a C–H oxidation pathway.

Li, T.; Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Gentleman, A. S.; Euser, T.; Reisner, E. ACS Catal., 2022,12, 8155-8163.

Visible-light promoted C–O bond formation with an integrated carbon nitride–nickel heterogeneous photocatalyst.

Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Roy, S.; Reisner E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 8494-8499.

Rational design of carbon nitride photoelectrodes with high activity toward organic oxidations.

Wakerley, Pulignani, C.; Mesa, C.; Hillman, S.; Uekert, T.; Gimenez, S.; Durrant, J.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e202211587.