Research

Organic Photoredox Catalysis

In collaboration with Prof. Garret Miyake's group at Colorado State University, we have been investigating organic photocatalytic reactions driven by visible light. In the past, we have characterized the photophysical attributes of Phenoxazines and Phenazines and how they can be exploited to drive organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP). Currently, we are focussed on using Benzoperylene monoimides (BPI) for metal and liq ammonia free Birch reduction at room temperature. 

Catalytic cycle for Phenoxazine driven ATRP
Exploiting Charge-Transfer States for Maximizing Intersystem Crossing Yields in Phenoxazines
Design principle for Phenoxazine Photocatalysts to be used in O-ATRP

 

Singlet Fission and Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion

Solar energy conversion represents a promising avenue towards sustainable energy. Our group's work with linear polyacene dimers have fundamental implication towards understanding both singlet fission and its reverse process triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion which used to improve the efficiency of existing solar devices. 

Some of the tetracene and pentacene dimers synthesized and studied by our group.
SF occurring at a picosecond scale in the pentacene dimer. As monitored by fsTA