About our group
The research of our laboratory focuses on the development of small organic molecules that undergo electron transfer and/or can be activated by light. This interdisciplinary research field combines organic synthesis, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, physical chemistry and mechanistic investigations of light-triggered processes. Our main goal is to precisely control redox reactions and electron transfer in space and time, reversibly transfer charge between defined redox centres and develop methods for stabilization of organic radicals and radical ions. We aim to use them in various applications ranging from redox sensors to functionalized surfaces, molecular electronic devices and smart materials.
Publications
All publications
Excited-State (Anti)Aromaticity Explains Why Azulene Disobeys Kasha’s Rule
Journal of the American Chemical Society 145 (39): 21569–21575 (2023)
Fluorescence exclusively occurs from the lowest excited state of a given multiplicity according to Kasha’s rule. However, this rule is not obeyed by a handful of anti-Kasha fluorophores whose underlying mechanism is still understood merely on a phenomenological basis. This lack of understanding prevents the rational design and property-tuning of anti-Kasha fluorophores. Here, we propose a model explaining the photophysical properties of an archetypal anti-Kasha fluorophore, azulene, based on its ground- and excited-state (anti)aromaticity. We derived our model from a detailed analysis of the electronic structure of the ground singlet, first excited triplet, and quintet states and of the first and second excited singlet states using the perturbational molecular orbital theory and quantum-chemical aromaticity indices. Our model reveals that the anti-Kasha properties of azulene and its derivatives result from (i) the contrasting (anti)aromaticity of its first and second singlet excited…
Sulfonothioated meso-Methyl BODIPY Shows Enhanced Uncaging Efficiency and Releases H2Sn
Organic Letters 25 (36): 6705–6709 (2023)
Structure–property–function relationships of stabilized and persistent C- and N-based triaryl radicals
Chemical Communications 60 (3): 252-264 (2024)
Spin-Vibronic Coupling Controls the Intersystem Crossing of Iodine-Substituted BODIPY Triplet Chromophores
Chemistry - A European Journal 30 (4): e202303154 (2024)
