Bioinorganic photochemistry: Frontiers and mechanisms

Inorganic photochemistry is one of the most rapidly growing fields of chemistry. It evolved from simple molecular systems and reached its "adolescence" via convergence with supramolecular chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and biochemistry. New trends in inorganic photochemistry explore such diverse areas as medicine, environmental sciences, materials technology, and technology related to new energy sources. This review highlights the recent advances and main frontiers in bioinorganic photochemistry, the interdisciplinary field which intersects inorganic photochemistry with biological, medical, and environmental sciences. It is emphasized that the understanding of the photochemistry and photophysics of metal compounds has matured to the point that solutions to various practical problems of the modern world are accessible.