The photophysics of photoredox catalysis: a roadmap for catalyst design

Recently, the use of transition metal based chromophores as photo-induced single-electron transfer reagents in synthetic organic chemistry has opened up a wealth of possibilities for reinventing known reactions as well as creating new pathways to previously unattainable products. The workhorses for these efforts have been polypyridyl complexes of Ru(ii) and Ir(iii), compounds whose photophysics have been studied for decades within the inorganic community but never extensively applied to problems of interest to organic chemists. While the nexus of synthetic organic and physical-inorganic chemistries holds promise for tremendous new opportunities in both areas, a deeper appreciation of the underlying principles…