Beyond UV: Visible-light Photocatalysis in Prebiotic Chemistry

Objective

This proposal aims to uncover the role of visible light in driving prebiotic chemical reactions, with a focus on polymerizations and redox processes using prebiotically relevant photocatalysts. While UV light has traditionally been emphasized in prebiotic chemistry for its high energy and efficient bond-breaking properties, it can also degrade advanced organic material, presenting a central paradox in prebiotic chemistry. In contrast, visible light, when paired with photocatalysts, may drive important chemical transformations without the need for the protective mechanisms associated with UV chemistry. The project involves synthesizing a diverse range of photocatalysts to generate a computational model capable of predicting their photoredox properties. These molecules will then be investigated as photocatalysts in selected prebiotic reactions. Additionally, I will investigate key steps of a proposed prebiotic synthesis of key redox-active molecules can be initiated by visible light photoredox catalysis. Lastly, visible light-driven reactions will be benchmarked against established UV light-initiated processes to determine whether visible light can drive similar or complementary chemistry. By completing these objectives, I will provide examples of visible-light photocatalysis in prebiotic chemistry. This will impact our understanding of how visible light contributed to the formation of life’s building blocks, offering alternative pathways to prebiotic molecule accumulation and broadening our understanding of early chemical reaction networks.