Chemistry Club Seminar

In this presentation, I will describe a new class of photocatalysts for proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) activation of aliphatic C–H and N–H bonds. These catalysts pair an iridium-based excited-state oxidant and an associated proton acceptor. Under visible-light irradiation, the resulting complexes function as exceptionally strong hydrogen-atom abstractors, with effective bond dissociation free energies exceeding 110 kcal/mol. I will also present mechanistic studies that establish their mode of action, along with representative applications in catalysis and deracemization reactions.