Photoredox catalysis is a powerful platform for 21st century drug discovery. Here, catalysts activated by visible light are used to engage a variety of organic molecules through single-electron oxidation or reduction to yield synthetically versatile radical intermediates. Through this mechanism, the creation of valuable therapeutic scaffolds which are inaccessible by alternative chemical procedures is made possible. In the Bloom lab, we are exploiting photoredox catalysis to facilitate the synthesis of medicinally relevant compounds under biocompatible conditions.
