270015 VO Photochemical organic Synthesis and Catalysis (2024S)

The student will be introduced to the modern photosynthetic techniques used in organic chemistry in this course. The course starts with an extensive introduction to organic molecules' fundamental photochemical/photophysical properties, focusing on the chemical and physical properties of molecular excited states. In a second avenue, the students will be familiarised with those photochemical transformations occurring in nature through a review of the basic concepts of natural photosynthesis and related biosynthetic paths. The focus of the course will move on the chemical reactivity of molecular excited states and their use to trigger chemical transformations (radical chemistry) in organic synthetic chemistry (light-triggered and photocatalytic transformations). Case studies include the synthesis of medicinal-relevant products, stereoselective synthesis, solar fuel production and molecular switches.