Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The concepts of physical organic chemistry and photochemistry are applied to the study of nanomaterials and to the controlled release of specific properties. In the case of metallic nanomaterials we work on gold, silver, copper and cobalt, as well as alloys, and have devised new efficient, green and fast ways of making nanoparticles in a carefully controlled way. These nanoparticles have long term stability, are largely unprotected, and can readily be modified for applications in sensors, in biology or for catalysis. Other nanopaticles of interest include semiconductors, frequently referred as quantum dots, that have very special luminescent properties; for example the colour of emission can be readily tuned by adjusting the particle size. In the case of CdSe quantum dots their emission falls in the visible region. We have examined their interaction with free radicals, in particular nitroxides and in the process developed a sensor for free radicals. The controlled release of properties includes a wide range of materials; for example in the case of photocages, we aim at developing a material capable of releasing antiviral drugs for use in eye therapies, in particular in relation to corneal transplants. In another example we release antioxidant activity in a thermally activated process. Several other examples deal with fluorescence sensors, where emission is used to report on DNA properties or for ion detection.