Improving both energy efficiency and reaction selectivity, while reducing environmental impact, light-based chemical catalysis offers an exciting alternative to traditional thermal-based synthetic approaches. The diversity in compositions and operational mechanisms of photoredox catalysis systems provides modularity and versatility in synthesis, yet this multiplicity results in non-intuitive structure-reactivity relationships. Furthermore, some of the most efficient photocatalysts rely on the incorporation of precious metals (e.g., Ir, Pd, Pt, and Ru). This sub-group aims to synthesize novel (metal-free) photoredox catalysts and systematically characterize their utility in light-driven polymerizations to unveil key design principles that will inform further photocatalyst optimization. Research consists of dye synthesis, photophysical characterization, and real-time quantitative photopolymerization monitoring.