Radiation induces a variety of chemical processes in biological tissues. This volume is a synthesis of up-to-the-minute reviews on such photochemical and photobiological sensitized reactions with particular relevance to photomedicine. The first part gives a description of experimental techniques for the study of the primary processes after radiation absorption by biological systems. It is followed by chapters on singlet oxygen and photomedicine, considering both phototherapy and photochemotherapy. These sections also discuss the next generation of potential photosensitizing drugs.

In recent years the field of contact dermatitis has increased greatly in importance in dermatology. The variety of exogenous, environmental ly caused dermatoses has undoubtedly expanded over the past few de cades with the increasing number of potentially toxic chemicals, the changes in lifestyle, and the greater life expectancy in industrialized societies. The value of international cooperation in this field has long been realized and acted upon by the International Contact Dermatitis Re search Group (ICDRG). By 1975 the international journal Contact Dermatitis had been founded under the editorship of C. D. Calnan. Thanks largely to the ICDRG and Contact Dermatitis, there were, by 1986, enough additional dermatologists and scientists with a special interest in this area to form the European Environmental and Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG). Within 2 years they had in stituted the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) as an in ternational forum for researchers in the field. The EECDRG decided to hold a symposium in Heidelberg in May 1988, an initiative supported by the ICDRG, and on this occasion the new ESCD held its inaugural session. The Society already has over 200 members and most national contact dermatitis research groups in Europe are already represented; new members are of course welcome. Subgroups and working committees have been formed to address var ious topics including the standardization of patch testing, photoder matology, and bioengineering.

This book addresses the synthesis of photosensitizers, the main emphasis being on the new methods of synthesis such as microwave, sonochemistry and the use of ionic liquids. It also addresses the photochemistry and photophysics of the photosensitizers alone and in combination with nanoparticles, the use of the photosensitizers in environmental control, safety and medicine. It discusses the common structures of the photosensitizers which are beneficial to these applications.

Photosensitization and photocatalysis refer to processes by which permanent chemical transformations are induced on substrates (organic/inorganic) by radiation to which the substrates themselves are transparent. Such transformations can be highly specific, very efficient, and occur under mild conditions. Herein lies the power of photochemical methods for possible applications in the field of conversion and storage of solar energy. This book provides a recent survey of the progress in this important area in catalysis, with an emphasis on inorganic complexes and organometallic compounds as the key light aborbers. The book is organized in three parts: fundamentals, followed by applications. Discussions cover a wide variety of photosensitized or photocatalyzed reactions: decomposition of water, reduction of CO2 and CO; spectral sensitization in photoelectrochemical cells; transformations (oxidation, reduction, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, carbonylation, etc.) of organics such as alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, etc. In view of the variety of systems (sensitizers, substrates) and the topics covered, the volume is unique in the field of photochemistry and will appeal to academic and industrial researchers in various subdisciplines of chemistry, material science and catalysis.

The first edition of The Science of Photobiology was published in 1977, and was the first textbook to cover all of the major areas of photobiology. The science of photobiology is currently divided into 14 subspecialty areas by the American Society for Photobiology. In this edition, however, the topics of phototechnology and spectroscopy have been com bined in a new chapter entitled "Photophysics." The other subspecialty areas remain the same, i.e., Photochemistry, Photosensitization, UV Radiation Effects, Environmental Photobiology, Photomedicine, Circadian Rhythms, Extraretinal Photoreception, Vision, Photomorphogenesis, Photomovement, Photosynthesis, and Bioluminescence. This book has been written as a textbook to introduce the science of photobiology to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The chapters are written to provide a broad overview of each topic. They are designed to contain the amount of information that might be presented in a one-to two-hour general lecture. The references are not meant to be exhaustive, but key references are included to give students an entry into the literature. Frequently a more recent reference that reviews the literature will be cited rather than the first paper by the author making the original discovery. The chapters are not meant to be a repository of facts for research workers in the field, but rather are concerned with demon strating the importance of each specialty area of photobiology, and documenting its relevance to current and/or future problems of man.

Photosensitization and photocatalysis refer to processes by which permanent chemical transformations are induced on substrates (organic/inorganic) by radiation to which the substrates themselves are transparent. Such transformations can be highly specific, very efficient, and occur under mild conditions. Herein lies the power of photochemical methods for possible applications in the field of conversion and storage of solar energy. This book provides a recent survey of the progress in this important area in catalysis, with an emphasis on inorganic complexes and organometallic compounds as the key light aborbers. The book is organized in three parts: fundamentals, followed by applications. Discussions cover a wide variety of photosensitized or photocatalyzed reactions: decomposition of water, reduction of CO2 and CO; spectral sensitization in photoelectrochemical cells; transformations (oxidation, reduction, isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, carbonylation, etc.) of organics such as alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, etc. In view of the variety of systems (sensitizers, substrates) and the topics covered, the volume is unique in the field of photochemistry and will appeal to academic and industrial researchers in various subdisciplines of chemistry, material science and catalysis.