Research · photoredox catalysis
Organic Synthesis
Why not deploy photocatalysts developed for solar chemical technologies for green organic synthesis?
Photocatalysis
Green synthesis
Sustainable chemistry
Our approach
Light-driven chemical synthesis
Many semiconductors or photoelectrodes have been developed for solar fuel synthesis and we are interested in used those heterogenous, hybrid or semi-artificial catalysts for organic photocatalysis. We are particularly interested in replacing expensive and toxic photocatalysts currently being used or develop by truly scalable, inexpensive and non-toxic alternatives. The goal is to develop light-driven, high-yield organic transformations and establish a sustainable organic and pharmaceuticals industry.
Selected work
Recent publications
A selection of studies on scalable photocatalysts and sustainable light-driven organic transformations.
Anti-Friedel–Crafts alkylation via electron donor–acceptor photoinitiation
Vahey, D. M.; Mu, M.; Bonke, S. A.; Sommer, T.; Vangal, P.; Mallia, C.; García-Melchor, M.; Reisner, E. Nat. Synth., 2026, 5, 871–884.
Driving Electrochemical Organic Hydrogenations on Metal Catalysts by Tailoring Hydrogen Surface Coverages
Ciotti, A.; Rahaman, M.; Yeung, C. W. S.; Li, T.; Reisner, E.; García-Melchor, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147, 13158–13168.
Rational Design of Carbon Nitride Photoelectrodes with High Activity Toward Organic Oxidations
Pulignani, C.; Mesa, C.; Hillman, S.; Uekert, T.; Gimenez, S.; Durrant, J.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e202211587.
Bridging Plastic Recycling and Organic Catalysis: Photocatalytic Deconstruction of Polystyrene via a C–H Oxidation Pathway
Li, T.; Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Gentleman, A. S.; Euser, T.; Reisner, E. ACS Catal., 2022, 12, 8155–8163.
An Integrated Carbon Nitride-Nickel Photocatalyst for the Amination of Aryl Halides Using Sodium Azide
Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e202203176.
Visible-Light Promoted C–O Bond Formation with an Integrated Carbon Nitride–Nickel Heterogeneous Photocatalyst
Vijeta, A.; Casadevall, C.; Roy, S.; Reisner, E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 8494–8499.