SBIR Phase I: Development and commercialization of organic photocatalysts for light-driven C-N cross-coupling reaction

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop special metal-free catalysts to dramatically reduce chemical manufacturing costs. In addition, these catalysts significantly expand the range of light-driven reactions, leading to profound advancements in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture, biology, material science, and other industries. Because light-driven chemical technology predominantly relies on scarce and expensive precious metal catalysts, it is limited today to small-scale R&D applications only. At scale, light-driven technology using metal-free catalysts can greatly reduce chemical manufacturing costs by replacing conventional reactions that rely on expensive precious metals, which are also limited to specific classes of reactions. This new chemistry will significantly expand the possibilities for applications of light-driven chemical technology, leading to novel products and greater consumer access through lower costs. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to demonstrate the suitability of metal-free (organic) photoredox catalysts (PCs) in challenging and important pharmaceutical reactions. Organic PCs are key enablers of photoredox catalysis, an emerging field of chemistry gaining significant traction in drug development. Driven by light absorption, photoredox catalysis offers significant advantages over conventional heat-driven methods (e.g. Pd catalysis), including cost, ease of use, and broadened fields-of-use. Importantly, organic PCs are sustainable and scalable alternatives to predominantly used precious metal PCs, allowing photoredox catalysis to extend to full industrial use, including drug manufacturing. To spur industrial adoption of photoredox catalysis, research objectives include proving feasibility of organic PCs in medicinally important reactions, while expanding substrate scope to include biologically relevant and highly functionalized substrates typically used in drug designs. Photoredox-catalyzed reactions powered by organic PCs will access new chemistries beyond capabilities of conventional heat-driven catalysis. In addition, guided by quantum simulations, new high-performance organic PCs will be developed with unique properties beyond those reported in the literature, unlocking new transformations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.