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

Singlet Oxygen Induces Fluorescent Proteins Dimerization

ChemBioChem 2010, 11, 2384. Lights out at two: The oxidation of avGFP and EGFP by singlet oxygen not only diminishes their fluorescence emission and changes their absorption properties, but also generates undesired protein aggregation. This could have important consequences in studies in which pairs of fluorescent proteins are used, such as in FRET experiments.

Vitamin E Prevents Lipid Raft Modifications Induced by an Anti-cancer Lysophospholipid and Abol

J. Biol. Chem. 2010, 285, 25731. We have previously established that the anti-cancer lysophospholipid edelfosine (1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine, Et-18-OCH3) induces cell death in yeast by selective modification of lipid raft composition at the plasma membrane. In this study we determined that α-tocopherol protects cells from the edelfosine cytotoxic effect, preventing the internalization of sterols and the plasma membrane proton pump ATPase, Pma1p. Two

Calix[4]arene Sulfonate as a Template for Forming Fluorescent Thiazole Orange H-Aggregates

Chem. Commun. 2010, 46, 3595. The unexpected interaction between thiazole orange (TO) and calix[4]arene sulfonate is reported herein. H-Aggregates of TO switching on their fluorescence in solution are observed. Surprisingly, fluorescence enhancement is not linked to host–guest inclusion, but rather to calix[4]arene sulfonate serving as a template for several TO molecules.

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