Research Interest

In a world that is beginning to realize the potential for using light as a source of renewable energy to power the globe, synthetic chemists that synthesize life-saving pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals are now employing photons to drive challenging chemical transformations. This photonic reagent has the potential to be a game-changer in fine chemical production, but photons and photocatalysts come with unique mechanistic challenges at the intersection of synthetic chemistry and physical chemistry. The Kudisch group investigates the photophysical and photochemical underpinnings of next-generation photocatalysts for use in novel and disruptive photochemical transformations. We utilize cutting-edge ultrafast spectroscopic methods with sub-20 femtosecond light pulses to get simultaneous information into the vibrational and electronic trajectories of novel photoreagent excited states and photochemical reactions. In particular, we are interested in 1. Understanding the full photoscience of radical excited states for applications in photoredox catalysis and quantum information science, 2. Elucidating the rules that govern ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) based photoreactivity in myriad synthetic and sustainability contexts, and 3. Developing novel spectroscopic techniques for better tracking photochemical reaction trajectories. Students in the Kudisch group develop expertise in building and implementing a battery of advanced spectroscopic techniques and will understand molecular photophysics with the depth and breadth necessary to shepherd physical understanding into the realm of modern synthetic photochemistry.