Computational studies of FR0-SB, a novel organic compound that deprotonates alcohols upon photoexcitation

The development and characterization of reversible photoactivated reagents are key to the advancement of an important area of molecular science called precision chemistry. This, in particular, applies to light-induced acid–base reactions, which require controlling the underlying excited-state proton transfer processes. This talk will be dedicated to a recent collaboration between our group and the experimental groups of Professors Gary Blanchard (synthesis and spectroscopy of interfaces), Babak Borhan (synthetic and bioorganic chemistry), Marcos Dantus (ultrafast science), and James Jackson (green and organic materials chemistry) from our department on the strongest known super photobase, called FR0-SB, which upon photoexcitation exhibits a change in pKa so large that the photoexcited FR0-SB* species extracts protons from alcohols.

Prof. Piecuch is one of the leaders of electronic structure theory. He was born and studied chemistry in Wroclaw, Poland. After postdoctoral and research faculty appointments at the University of Waterloo, Canada, he also collaborated with the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry professor John C. Polanyi at the University of Toronto. Prof. Piecuch joined the Michigan State University in 1998.