# Excited-State Catalysis in Organic Synthesis

> **NIH NIH R35** · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · 2022 · $448,142

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Our research goal is to develop new catalytic technologies for the rapid synthesis and late-stage
functionalization under mild reaction conditions of complex, biorelevant molecules. Our research efforts have
been directed to exploit visible-light-induced excited-state catalysis, a process that involves at least one
photoexcited catalytic species, to address unmet challenges in organic synthesis. Excited-state catalysis involves
the photoexcitation of catalytic organic or organometallic compounds that allows access to their excited-state
landscapes for the development of previously elusive synthetic transformations. This proposal aims to continue
our efforts in establishing novel excited-state catalytic platforms for the synthesis of valuable fluorinated
compounds, the derivatization of carbonyl moieties, and the site-selective functionalization of carbohydrates.
More specifically, we will develop (i) polyfluoroalkoxylation reactions of various hydrocarbons via excited-state
catalysis; (ii) new redox-active reagents such as those that can be used for pentafluorosulfenylation and
fluorosulfonylation; (iii) regioselective polyfluoroalkoxylation reactions of arenes and heteroarenes through
metallaphotocatalysis; (iv) new excited-state catalysts to modulate the reactivity of carbonyl compounds; and (v)
site-selective functionalization of carbohydrates. Since fluorinated compounds, carbonyl derivatives, and
functionalized sugars are ubiquitous in natural products, therapeutics, imaging agents, fine chemicals, and
biomaterials, successful development of the proposed research will allow convenient access to and the studies of
numerous new functional molecules to aid the discovery and development of new drugs, agrochemicals, bio-
probes, and polymers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10401752
- **Project number:** 5R35GM119652-07
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
- **Principal Investigator:** Ming-Yu Ngai
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $448,142
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-05 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10401752

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10401752, Excited-State Catalysis in Organic Synthesis (5R35GM119652-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10401752. Licensed CC0.

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