Photons are phenomenal reagents which open new opportunities in chemical synthesis that cannot be attained in the chemistry of ground state. The goal of the project was to find new photochemical transformations applicable in organic synthesis, as well as investigation of the photochemical reaction mechanisms. In addition, the aim of the project was to go beyond the state of the art, and ultimately find application of photochemistry in new medical treatments and synthesis of new compounds, potential drug molecules for treating malignant diseases.

e main instrument for achieving the goals of the project was research on new photochemical transformations and finding ways of understanding their reaction mechanisms, which took three main directions:

a) photochemistry of polycyclic phthalimides for the production of potential anticancer and antiviral agents;

b) photochemical formation of polycyclic quinone methides, new potential anticancer therapeutics;

c) understanding photochemical reaction mechanisms of H+ and H˙ transfer on the examples of photochemical transformations of aryl-pyrroles and aryl-indoles