WIth support from the Chemical Structure, Dynamics & Mechanisms-B (CSDM-B) Program of the Chemistry Division and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Carsten Milsmann of the Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University is developing new synthetic routes to molecular transition metal photosensitizers based on earth abundant group 4 elements that can be utilized in photochemical applications. The goal of this research is to provide cheap and readily available light-absorbing molecules with characteristics required for solar fuels production, photocatalysis in polar solutions, and the construction of photovoltaic devices (e.g., dye-sensitized solar cells). Fundamental insights gained from the proposed work will broaden the scope of available photosensitizers and allow the targeted design of light-harvesting molecules in a more sustainable way. The proposed studies combine elements of synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry with detailed photophysical investigations, allowing for training and education of graduate and undergraduate students with diverse interests for their future careers as scientists. Early transition metal photosensitizers with long-lived ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) excited states are an emerging class of inorganic chromophores that have found application in photocatalysis, photon upconversion, and biological sensing. The proposed research includes the use of postsynthetic modification of existing molecula