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

High Stokes Shift Anilido-Pyridine Boron Difluoride Dyes

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 12214. To dye for: Three related families of fluorescent dyes, rigidified by boron difluoride and based on bidentate anilido-pyridyl donor ligands, are reported (see picture). The dyes show quantum yields up to 0.75 and improved Stokes shifts of >100 nm relative to the widely employed BODIPY family of dyes. Furthermore, the new dyes are exceptionally photostable and membrane-specific.

Photophysics and Photochemistry of Aflatoxins B-1 and B-2

Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2011, 10, 1701. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by fungi of the genus Aspergillus, which is widely spread in the tropics and subtropics. To date, aflatoxin phototoxicity has been recognized, but the mechanism responsible for this phototoxicity has not been fully characterized. In the present paper, nanosecond laser flash photolysis studies allowed us to elucidate the photochemical processes undergone by two mycotoxins, namely aflatoxin B-1 and B-