# Organic Photoredox Catalysts for Synthetic Method Development

> **NIH NIH R35** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $374,672

## Abstract

Project Summary
Organic Photoredox Catalysts for Synthetic Method Development
Garret M. Miyake, Colorado State University, Department of Chemistry
Catalysis is arguably the most important chemical contribution to society as it enables the
synthesis of medicines and materials that are critical to enhancing human lives. To
address current and future health needs, the development of catalyst systems that
accelerate the discovery and manufacturing of medicines through new and more efficient
chemical reactions are necessary. However, many classic catalytic methodologies
employ precious metals, hazardous reagents, or forcing conditions. By contrast,
photoredox catalysis has emerged as a powerful approach to access unique reaction
pathways and drive chemical reactions using light. Advantages of photoredox catalysis
include the ability to perform reactions under mild conditions, obviation of hazardous and
non-selective reagents, achievement of new selectivity, increased functional group
tolerance, increased reaction efficiencies, and access to unprecedented reaction
intermediates and manifolds. Much of the work in photoredox catalysis has applied well-
studied precious metal complexes or organic dyes that possess oxidizing excited states
as the catalysts. As such, to address metal contamination, sustainability, and the need
for expanded and novel reactivity, new organic photoredox catalysts with diverse
photophysical and electrochemical properties must be developed. The long-term goal of
the proposed research activities is to develop organic photoredox catalyst systems that
enable novel and improved syntheses of small molecules and materials that address
human health needs. This proposal describes the development of organic photoredox
catalyst systems with unprecedented redox potentials that enable new chemical
reactivity. We will employ a combination of experimental and computational approaches
to gain a fundamental understanding into the catalysts and reaction mechanisms.
Through mechanistically guided catalyst design, we seek to engineer systems that can
access the extremely reducing or oxidizing chemical potentials necessary to enable
challenging reactivity. Ultimately, this research will contribute to human health through
the development of catalysts with unique reactivity to enable new and improved
syntheses of medicines and medically important materials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10546507
- **Project number:** 5R35GM144356-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Garret Morgan Miyake
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $374,672
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-02-01 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10546507

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10546507, Organic Photoredox Catalysts for Synthetic Method Development (5R35GM144356-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10546507. Licensed CC0.

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