Research & Publications

Plasmonic photochemistry

Metallic nanoparticles act as nanoscale antennas that amplify and concentrate light in their vicinity. Our research group specializes in harnessing these unique optical properties to enhance and control photochemical processes. To achieve this, we engineer innovative metallic nanoparticle hybrid systems and investigate how their structure, composition, and plasmonic behavior influence light-driven reactivity. We then apply these nanomaterials toward photochemical and antimicrobial applications.

Singlet Oxygen

Singlet oxygen is an excited state of molecular oxygen generated through photosensitization. Due to its short lifetime and highly reactive nature, singlet oxygen acts locally at the site of production, making it an effective tool for targeted antimicrobial applications against pathogens ranging from viruses to bacteria. Our group is interested in harnessing singlet oxygen to address antimicrobial resistance through the development and optimization of new photosensitizers, as well as strategies to enhance singlet oxygen generation and efficacy.

Excited-state modulation

Our research group is interested in understanding and controlling excited-state pathways through unconventional approaches to triplet-state access. Using polymer-based systems, we investigate how polymer composition, thickness, and the incorporation of plasticizers or antiplasticizers influence excited-state behavior and relaxation processes. By establishing fundamental structure–property relationships, our goal is to develop design principles that enable the rational tuning of excited-state dynamics, reducing reliance on trial-and-error approaches in photochemical material design.

publications

The Electronic States of 2-Furanmethanol (Furfuryl Alcohol) Studied by Photon Absorption and Ele

J. Chem. Phys. 2003, 119, 2782. The photoelectron spectrum of 2-furanmethanol (furfuryl alcohol) has been measured for ionization energies between 8 and 11.2 eV and the first three ionization bands assigned to π3,π3, π2,π2, and nono ionizations in order of increasing binding energy. The photoabsorption spectrum has been recorded in the gas phase using both a synchrotron radiation source (5–9.91 eV, 248–125 nm) and electron energy-loss spectroscopyunder electric-dipole conditi