Excellent Chemistry Lecture
Excellent Chemistry Lecture (ECL) series focuses on emerging topics related to the three IChF Clusters of Excellence
2025
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4 Dec 2025
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The intricate nature of intrinsically disordered proteins involved in gene silencing - and how to deal with it
- Prof. Anna Niedźwiecka, Laboratory of Biological Physics, Institute of Physics PAS, Warsaw, Poland
- Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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The intricate nature of intrinsically disordered proteins involved in gene silencing - and how to deal with it
- Date: 4 Dec 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Anna Niedźwiecka, Laboratory of Biological Physics, Institute of Physics PAS, Warsaw, Poland
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Abstract:
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an important class of biomolecules that regulate biological processes in higher organisms. Their lack of fixed spatial structure facilitates their regulatory functions and enables the efficiency of biochemical reactions to be controlled by temperature and the cellular environment. From a biophysical perspective, IDPs are biopolymers with a wide configuration state space and their actual conformation depends on the non-covalent interactions of their amino acid side chains at a given temperature and chemical conditions.
I will discuss the properties and interactions of an intrinsically disordered GW182 protein that interacts with the pivotal CNOT1 subunit of the CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex, thereby mediating microRNA-dependent gene silencing. The CCR4–NOT complex also functions in an alternative gene silencing pathway that is regulated by an intrinsically disordered tristetraprolin (TTP) protein. While the CNOT1 residues involved in the specific TTP binding have been identified, the molecular mechanism underlying the CNOT1 interaction with GW182 remains unknown. We use a combination of hydrogen-deuterium mass spectrometry, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) propensity of the GW182 silencing domain (SD) to identify the molecular determinants of CNOT1 - GW182 recognition. We demonstrate that the GW182 silencing domain undergoes LLPS with a lower critical temperature due to a tryptophan-dependent LLPS mechanism. We also show that the GW182 SD forms two-component condensates with the CNOT1 protein via a host-client relationship, and that this process can be inhibited by single point mutations in the CNOT1 binding site or by competition with TTP peptides for the binding site within the ternary protein system. To verify the specificity of protein interactions within the dense liquid phase, we combine Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) with fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Thanks to its angstrom spatial resolution, FRET-FRAP allows us to distinguish between proteins that are specifically involved in complexes and those that have been accidentally trapped in microdroplets due to non-specific polymer interactions. This approach provides a generalisable, selective framework for studying protein complexes in crowded molecular environments.
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1 Dec 2025
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Decoding and Translating the Languages of Biology
- Jian Shu, Ph.D. Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, MIT, Associate Member Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT
- IChF Aula
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Decoding and Translating the Languages of Biology
- Date: 1 Dec 2025, 16:00
- Lecturer: Jian Shu, Ph.D. Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, MIT, Associate Member Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT
- Institution: IChF Aula
- Abstract:
Decoding the biological "languages" underlying genetic and cellular states remains a major challenge. Single-cell omics measurements are transforming our understanding of biology; however, they are expensive and destructive, making it difficult to monitor live cells in tissues and humans over time. By contrast, imaging is non-destructive, low-cost, and scalable, but it can be difficult to interpret.
My lab focuses on developing generalizable and scalable experimental and computational frameworks that leverage generative AI to bridge the gap between diverse biological data modalities in order to decode, model, and reprogram cells in multicellular systems. For example, we have developed technologies that (i) predict single-cell omics data from non-destructive imaging modalities, (ii) reconstruct molecular dynamics in live cells over time using imaging, and (iii) generate cellular and tissue images directly from single-cell gene expression profiles. These approaches enable rapid and scalable querying and prediction of multi-omics and imaging information in real time, in live cells, across both mammalian and microbial systems.
By integrating multi-modal live-cell and label-free imaging with genetic and chemical perturbations and engineering, we have created massively scalable screening systems to investigate cell functions and behaviors across space and time, with the ultimate goal of enabling the de novo design of cells using AI.
Translating these distinct "languages" (data modalities) of biology unifies different perspectives of cell and tissue biology, reduces the need for multiple destructive measurements, and moves us closer to our long-term vision: building digital simulators to read, write, and engineer multicellular systems.
Biogram:
Dr. Jian Shu (https://jianshulab.org) is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, as well as an Associate Member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Dr. Shu was the valedictorian at Peking University, where he studied stem cell biology and cellular reprogramming with Dr. Hongkui Deng. He was a Helen Hay Whitney Fellow, working at the intersection of single-cell genomics and stem cell biology in Dr. Eric Lander’s lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as well as Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch’s lab at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT.
Dr. Jian Shu joined the faculty at MGH/Harvard Medical School and established his lab in January 2021. The Shu Lab's research focuses on developing scalable experimental and computational methods to decode and translate the various 'languages' (data modalities) of biology across different scales—from molecules to cells, tissues, and organisms. These methods aim to unify different perspectives and maps of cell and tissue biology, significantly reducing the need for multiple measurements and shifting biology from direct measurement to prediction and generation through AI. The long-term goal is to build digital twins of multicellular systems and virtual simulators of living systems.
Dr. Shu has received awards and grants from the NIH New Innovator Award DP2, the Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00, the NIH Common Fund Cellular Senescence Network UG3/UH3, NIAID P01, multiple R01s, MLSC, the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, Additional Ventures SVRF, Additional Ventures Expansion Award, the Leo Foundation, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, MIT-MGB HEALS and SPARC at the Broad Institute.
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18 Nov 2025
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From Ni⁵⁺ Fantasies to Ag₆ Realities: DFT Adventures at the Boundaries of Inorganic Chemistry
- Dr. hab. Mariana Derzsi, Slovak University of Technology, Trnava, Slovakia
- Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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From Ni⁵⁺ Fantasies to Ag₆ Realities: DFT Adventures at the Boundaries of Inorganic Chemistry
- Date: 18 Nov 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Dr. hab. Mariana Derzsi, Slovak University of Technology, Trnava, Slovakia
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Abstract:
The chemistry of transition metals continues to surprise us when pushed to its limits of oxidation, bonding, and composition. Using first-principles density-functional theory and evolutionary algorithms for crystal-structure prediction, we will explore those extremes—from the hypothetical Ni⁵⁺ oxidation state in oxygen-rich nickel oxides to unusual Pd–Pd bonding and subvalent silver halides. Our calculations reveal why oxygen-saturated nickel oxides beyond NiO₂ are intrinsically unstable: excess oxygen drives reduction of nickel and the formation of superoxide or peroxide species instead. In contrast, palladium and silver exhibit remarkable tendencies toward metal–metal interactions, leading to multicenter Pd(I)–Pd(I) bonds in predicted Pd₂O structures and to rare Ag₆ clusters with localized two-electron–six-center bonding in Ag₆Cl₄. Together these results chart the energetic and structural frontiers of inorganic chemistry, highlighting how computation can uncover compounds that test the boundaries of oxidation, reduction, and metallic bonding—materials that may be difficult to stabilize experimentally but that expand our understanding of how elements behave under chemical extremes.
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13 Nov 2025
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Mathematical modeling and optimization of protective coatings in biomedical applications
- Dr. Łukasz Szparaga, Koszalin University of Technology, Poland
- Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Mathematical modeling and optimization of protective coatings in biomedical applications
- Date: 13 Nov 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Dr. Łukasz Szparaga, Koszalin University of Technology, Poland
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Abstract:
The aim of this seminar is to present a concept for optimizing the design of ZrC protective coatings for biomedical applications. The coatings were deposited using the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) technique on 316L medical steel substrates. The goal of the optimization was to develop a protective coating structure and geometry that would achieve increased fracture resistance, low frictional wear, high adhesion to the substrate, high corrosion resistance, and antimicrobial properties. For this purpose, seven decision criteria were proposed based on the internal stress states in the coatings and the distribution of strains initiated by external mechanical loads. The criteria were calibrated and standardized so that the optimal coatings prototype should have the minimum value of each. The optimization task was therefore to find sets of solutions for which all criteria were simultaneously minimized. This, in the case of opposing criteria, leads to the formation of so-called Pareto-optimal sets. To analyze the selected feasible and Pareto-optimal solutions, methods were developed for selecting solutions and grouping them based on their potential operational properties. One of the methods based on the so-called utopian solution concept also made it possible to create a group of so-called compromise solutions, the main attribute of which was to have functional properties at an acceptable level previously defined by the decision-maker. To assess antimicrobial properties, experimental studies of bacterial population growth on ZrC coating surfaces were conducted, and the research was extended to titanium alloy substrates under specific laboratory conditions. To quantitatively analyze the obtained results, mathematical models were developed (using the Richards, Verhulst, and Gompertz equations) describing bacterial population growth over time. The models created will constitute new components of the previously developed coating optimization procedure, which will enable simultaneous optimization of mechanical and antimicrobial properties.
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4 Nov 2025
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Advancing biomolecular analysis through magnetically assisted Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
- Prof. Václav Ranc, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Excelent Chemistry lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Advancing biomolecular analysis through magnetically assisted Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
- Date: 4 Nov 2025, 11:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Václav Ranc, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Institution: Excelent Chemistry lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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25 Sept 2025
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Fluorine Forward: Enhancing Oligonucleotide Power
- Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers, Ontario Tech University, Canada
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Fluorine Forward: Enhancing Oligonucleotide Power
- Date: 25 Sept 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers, Ontario Tech University, Canada
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Abstract:
This talk discusses how fluorine can be used to improve our work in developing and using chemically-modified oligonucleotides for downstream applications. First, I will discuss our work in using an ortho-functionalized tetrafluorinated azobenzene within short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to optically control gene-silencing in both in vitro and in vivo systems. This will be followed by our work in studying gene activation, and how short activating RNAs (saRNAs) containing a 2'-fluoro adenosine in conjunction with other modifications such as a C3-propyl spacer can improve both resistance to nucleases and gene activation potential. Finally, I will present some data on how a fully 2'-fluorinated oligonucleotide (F-all) bound to a biopolymer, alginate, can be used to improve a prototype biosensor for forensic analysis.
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16 Sept 2025
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Multicolour made easy: a simpler approach to spectral separation
- Joshep Beckwith, University of Cambridge, UK
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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Multicolour made easy: a simpler approach to spectral separation
- Date: 16 Sept 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Joshep Beckwith, University of Cambridge, UK
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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2 Jun 2025
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N,N’,N”-triarylisocyanurates and related octupoles as two-photon absorbing octupolar chromophores
- Prof. Frédéric Paul, Université de Rennes I
- IChF Aula
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N,N’,N”-triarylisocyanurates and related octupoles as two-photon absorbing octupolar chromophores
- Date: 2 Jun 2025, 15:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Frédéric Paul, Université de Rennes I
- Institution: IChF Aula
- Abstract:
Since the seminal publication of Zyss et al. octupolar molecules with three-fold rotational symmetry (D3h or D3) have attracted sustained interest in the field of nonlinear optics due to their potentially large second- or third-order nonlinearities, making them often good two-photon absorbers,1-2 as is the case for N,N’,N”-isocyanurates (or 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triones).3a-b We have previously shown that this is even more true when metal centers are incorporated as organometallic endgroups into their structure, but at the expense of their luminescence.4a-b In this presentation, we will now stick to organic derivatives and show, after recalling some of our initial results,3a how various structural variations can affect the photophysical properties of interest of these derivatives. We will also show through selected examples how this knowledge can be used for designing more efficient two-photon dyes or photosensitizers based on this old family of molecules. Comparison with closely related octupoles will also be made to show the specificities of these compounds.
References: 1 Zyss, J. Ledoux, I. Chem. Rev. 94 (1994) 77. 2 Kim, H. M.; Cho, B. R. Chem. Commun. 2009, 153. 3a Argouarch, G. Veillard, R. Roisnel, T. Amar, A. Meghezzi, H. Boucekkine, A. Hugues, V. Mongin, O. Blanchard-Desce, M. Paul, F. Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 11811. 3b Y. Gautier, G. Argouarch, F. Malvolti, B. Blondeau, N. Richy, A. Amar, A. Boucekkine, K. Nawara, K. Chlebowicz, G. Orzanowska, K. Matczyszyn, M. Dudek, M. Samoc, M. Blanchard-Desce, O. Mongin, J. Waluk and F. Paul, ChemPlusChem, 2020, 85, 411. 4a Trujillo, A. Veillard, R. Argouarch, G. Roisnel, T. Singh, A. Ledoux, I. Paul, F. Dalton Trans. 41 (2012), 7454. 4b G. Grelaud, M. P. Cifuentes, F. Paul sand M. G. Humphrey, J. Organomet. Chem., 2014, 751, 181.
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29 May 2025
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Functional colloids
- Prof. Jaroslav Katona, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Functional colloids
- Date: 29 May 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Jaroslav Katona, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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16 Apr 2025
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Spectroscopic light of nanoconfined water flow
- Prof. Mischa Bonn, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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Spectroscopic light of nanoconfined water flow
- Date: 16 Apr 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Mischa Bonn, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry Lecture, Cluster 2, IChF Aula
- Contact person:
Sylwester Gawinkowski
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18 Feb 2025
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How chemistry can benefit from artificial intelligence
- Prof. Paweł Wawrzyński, NCBR IDEAS
- IChF Aula
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How chemistry can benefit from artificial intelligence
- Date: 18 Feb 2025, 10:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Paweł Wawrzyński, NCBR IDEAS
- Institution: IChF Aula
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21 Jan 2025
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A molecular view at interfaces - emulsion and catalysis
- Prof. Ellen Backus, University of Vienna
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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A molecular view at interfaces - emulsion and catalysis
- Date: 21 Jan 2025, 11:00
- Lecturer: Prof. Ellen Backus, University of Vienna
- Institution: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
- Contact person:
dr Sylwester Gawinkowski
- Abstract:
Interfaces are important areas where reactions are taking place or where interactions on the molecular level determine the energetics. However, often it is difficult to obtain molecular level information from an interface, as the surrounding bulk molecules overwhelms the signal from the few interfacial molecules. In this talk we will discuss how sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) can be used to obtain molecular level information of interfaces. Sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is a technique capable of retrieving vibrational information of selectively interfacial molecules even if bulk amounts of liquid are present. Here, we will discuss two recent highlights of our work.
In the first part of the talk we will aim to understand the molecular scale interactions of a switchable emulsifier comprising poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA). This emulsifier forms stable oil/water emulsions at pH > 10, but the emulsion becomes unstable at pH < 3 due to droplet aggregation. Using SFG, we study the PMAA/PEGMA polymer deposited on an aqueous subphase. We find that at pH 2.5, both MAA-EG H-bonds and MAA = MAA cyclic dimers contribute to droplet aggregation in the emulsion. In contrast, at pH 11.5 deprotonation and solvation of the PMAA component lead to a polymer restructuring forming a negative shell around the droplets, electrostatically stabilising the emulsion in alkaline conditions.
In the second part of the talk will follow the dynamics of water molecules at the TiO2-water interface after photoexcitation with UV light. A critical step in photocatalytic water dissociation is the hole-mediated oxidation reaction. Using femtosecond time-resolved SFG spectroscopy we could obtain molecular-level insights into the mechanism of this complex reaction under realistic conditions. Following the generation of holes at the surface immediately after photoexcitation of the catalyst with UV light, water dissociation occurs on a sub-20 ps timescale. At both pH 3 and 11, we observe the conversion of H2O into Ti-OH groups and the deprotonation of pre-existing Ti-OH groups. This study provides unique experimental insights into the early steps of the photo-induced dissociation processes at the photocatalyst-water interface.
Ellen Backus obtained her PhD in 2005 at Leiden University in the Netherlands. After a PostDoc at the University of Zurich, she moved back to the Netherlands for an independent PostDoc position at AMOLF in Amsterdam. In 2012, she joined the Molecular Spectroscopy department at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research as a group leader. Since 2018 she is professor for physical chemistry at the University of Vienna and leading the Ultrafast and Nonlinear Spectroscopy group. The overall research goal of her group is understanding the structure, relaxation dynamics, and reactivity of soft matter at interfaces and in bulk on the molecular scale.
Previous years
2024 Expand
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13 Dec 2024
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Utilization of CO2 using nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts
- Prof. Søren Kegnæs, Technical University of Denmark
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 3, IChF Aula
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Utilization of CO2 using nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts
- Data: 13 grudnia 2024, 10:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Søren Kegnæs, Technical University of Denmark
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 3, IChF Aula
- Abstrakt:
Søren Kegnæs’ primary scientific field of interest is within the design of functional nanomaterials, their characterisation and application in heterogeneous catalysis with a specific focus on the synthesis of functional nanoparticles and high surface area materials with controlled porosity.
In the view of Søren Kegnæs one of the most attractive areas of the potential future development is related to the green chemistry due to a number of environmental and economic challenges. It is also an opportunity in the next decade to develop a more green chemical industry by implementing new, highly active catalysts resulting in increased product yield and, therefore, lowered process costs. Therefore, one of the keys to successful science and great discoveries is the collaboration with industry with a focus on understanding of their wishes and needs and the collaboration with other international research groups in the areas of the material development containing metal nanoparticles and their application in heterogeneous catalysis such as e.g. CO oxidation, selective organic reactions for fine and bulk chemicals and biomass conversion.
In his group, the emphasis is placed on the cohesion of the synthesis skills with extensive understanding of heterogeneous catalysis, therefore the obtained materials are optimally adapted to the target applications in heterogeneous catalysis. Furthermore, these investigations are supported by comprehensive experience in characterisation of heterogeneous catalysts, especially within the techniques related to the advanced electron microscopy.
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6 Dec 2024
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Nano meets Light: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and imaging with moleculary functionalized noble metal nanoparticles
- Prof. Sebastian Schuecker, FRSC, FSAS, deputy director CENIDE, University of Duissburg-Essen
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Nano meets Light: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and imaging with moleculary functionalized noble metal nanoparticles
- Data: 6 grudnia 2024, 11:30
- Prelegent: Prof. Sebastian Schuecker, FRSC, FSAS, deputy director CENIDE, University of Duissburg-Essen
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Osoba kontaktowa:
Agnieszka Michota-Kamińska
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4 Dec 2024
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Computational protocols for molecular structure and spectroscopy
- Prof. Małgorzata Biczysko, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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Computational protocols for molecular structure and spectroscopy
- Data: 4 grudnia 2024, 10:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Małgorzata Biczysko, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
- Osoba kontaktowa:
dr Sylwester Gawinkowski
- Abstrakt:
Molecular systems of increasing size and complexity from small prebiotic molecules of astrochemical interest [1,2], medium size chromophores important for technology applications [3] to larger bio-molecules such as proteins [4,5] are nowadays studied by broad range of experimental techniques, involving different parts of electromagnetic spectrum [6]. However, it is seldom straightforward to link the rich experimental data to the desired information on the specific structure and properties of complex molecular systems.
I will discuss status and perspective of the project aimed at development, validation and application of QM based computational protocols supporting to decode and analyze experimental data based on light-matter interaction.
References
[1] Y. Zhao, M. Hochlaf, M. Biczysko “Identification of DNA bases and their cations in Astrochemical environments: Computational spectroscopy of Thymine as a test case” Front. Astron. Space Sci. 8, 757007 DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2021.757007 (2021)
[2] X. Yanting, M. Biczysko “Toward the identification of cyano-astroCOMs via vibrational features: benzonitrile as a test case” Front. Chem. 12, 1439194, DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1439194 (2024)
[3] X. Li, X. Yin, Y-L. Bai, M. Biczysko “Interpretation and prediction of optical properties: novel fluorescent dyes as a test case” Front. Phys. 11, 1236987, DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2023.1236987 (2023)
[4] Y. Wang, H. Kruse, N.W. Moriarty, M.P. Waller, P.V. Afonine, M. Biczysko “Optimal clustering for quantum refinement of biomolecular structures: Q|R #4” Theo. Chem. Acc. 142, 100, DOI:10.1007/s00214-023-03046-0 (2023)
[5] Y. Liu, M. Biczysko, N.W. Moriarty „A radical approach to radicals” Acta Cryst. D78, 43-51, DOI: 10.1107/S2059798321010809 (2022)
[6] V. Barone, S. Alessandrini, M. Biczysko, J. R. Cheeseman, D. C. Clary, A. B. McCoy, R. DiRisio, F. Neese, M. Melosso, C. Puzzarini “Computational molecular spectroscopy” Nat. Rev. Methods Primers 1, 38, DOI: 10.1038/s43586-021-00034-1 (2021)
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14 Nov 2024
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NMR in Photo- and Organocatalysis – Pushing the Limits
- Prof. Dr. Ruth M. Gschwind, University of Regensburg
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 3, IChF Aula
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NMR in Photo- and Organocatalysis – Pushing the Limits
- Data: 14 listopada 2024, 10:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Dr. Ruth M. Gschwind, University of Regensburg
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 3, IChF Aula
- Abstrakt:
The detection and characterization of intermediates in catalytic reactions is crucial for the rational optimization of reaction conditions. However, in many rapidly expanding fields of asymmetric catalysis, mechanistic studies as well as structural investigations on intermediates or intermolecular interactions are scarce. In this talk I will present techniques and methods to extend the application of NMR in photocatalysis and ion pair catalysis and explain their impact on examples. First our LED based NMR illumination device [1] will be introduced together with the new triple combination illumination/NMR/UV [2] and an NMR access to intermediates below the detection limit [3]. These methods allow for new insights into one- versus two-electron processes usually inaccessible to UV/Vis [4], the inclusion of radical species into NMR reaction profiles [2], the structure elucidation of thermally labile photoswitches [2], the sequencing of tiny intermediates [5], and even insights into photosteps in photocatalysis [6]. Last, the structure elucidation, H-bond analysis, reactivity/selectivity understanding and experimental transition state combination analysis of chiral phosphoric acids in ion pair catalysis is demonstrated [7]. Here, the NMR time scale could be extended so far that even the switching of a single hydrogen bond can be detected experimentally [8]. The translation of structural insights to synthetic applications is shown at two examples: Higher stereoselectivities were obtained for a whole bundle of ion pair catalysts combining ground- and transition state analysis with dispersion donor effects [9]. Furthermore, accelerated photochemical reactions at oil-water interface exploiting melting point depression are presented [10].
[1] C. Feldmeier, H. Bartling, E. Riedle, R.M. Gschwind, J. Magn. Res., 2013, 232, 39.
[2] A. Seegerer, P. Nitschke, R.M. Gschwind, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 7493.
[3] L. Nanjundappa, A. Seegerer, J. Hioe, R.M. Gschwind, JACS 2018, 140, 1855.
[4] C. Feldmeier, H. Bartling, K. Magerl, R.M. Gschwind, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 1347.
[5]. S. Wang, L. Nanjundappa, J. Hioe, R. M. Gschwind, B. König, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 4580. [6] N. Berg, S. Bergwinkl, P. Nuernberger, D. Horinek, R.M. Gschwind, JACS 2021, 143, 724. [7] JACS, 2016, 138, 15965; JACS, 2016, 138, 16345; JACS 2017, 139, 6752; Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 5226; Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 10025; Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 4381; Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 15263; JACS, 2022, 144, 19861.
[8] L. Nanjundappa, J. Hioe, J. Gramueller, R. M. Gschwind, JACS 2019, 141, 16398.
[9] J. Gramüller, M. Franta, R. M. Gschwind, JACS 2022, 144, 1986.
[10] Y. Tian, W. Silva, R.M. Gschwind, B. König, Science 2024, 383, 750.
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6 Nov 2024
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Weak and strong coupling: potential for controlling energetics and relaxation in molecular based systems
- Prof. Karl Borjesson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
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Weak and strong coupling: potential for controlling energetics and relaxation in molecular based systems
- Data: 6 listopada 2024, 10:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Karl Borjesson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 2, IChF Aula
- Osoba kontaktowa:
dr Sylwester Gawinkowski
- Abstrakt:
Coupling of the transition dipole moment of an organic chromophore can create new photophysical relaxation pathways and/or change the energetics of the excited states. I will give a selection of examples using three different coupling scenarios. The first scenario deals with weak exciton coupling, which enables energy transfer between chromophores. I will discuss how the energy transfer, commonly referred to as FRET, can be used as a multiplicity converter. The second scenario deals with strong exciton coupling, which results in new delocalized states with distinctly different energies than the uncoupled chromophore (so-called J-aggregates). I will start by showing that such systems can not only be used to red shift the absorption, but the delocalized nature results in a breakdown of the so-called energy gap law, giving a surprisingly high emission quantum yield in the NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. I will then continue with highlighting the benefit of strong exciton coupling for decreasing energy losses for triplet sensitizers. The third and last scenario deals with strong light-matter coupling. Here the molecular transition dipole moment is strongly coupled to the electromagnetic field inside an optical cavity, producing so-called polaritonic states. This phenomenon opens a plethora of options for manipulating the properties of molecules, with a broad range of applications in physics, chemistry, and materials science. In this presentation, I will discuss on the possibility to modify energetic driving forces and to efficiently harvest the excitation energy in planar heterojunctions by utilizing the delocalized nature of hybrid light-matter states.
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30 Oct 2024
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Advanced human heart models and gene therapies. Are they connected? - R&D dualism
- Tomasz Kolanowski, MD, PhD, Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
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Advanced human heart models and gene therapies. Are they connected? - R&D dualism
- Data: 30 października 2024, 11:30
- Prelegent: Tomasz Kolanowski, MD, PhD, Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Miejsce:
IChF Aula
- Osoba kontaktowa:
prof. Agnieszka Michota-Kamińska
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12 Sept 2024
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Coupling chemistry and cavitation bubbles: an emerging mode of activation boosted by the electrification of our society
- Prof. Dr. François JEROME, Affiliation: Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers, Poitiers (FRANCE)
- Excellence cluster 3: “Catalysis and materials for sustainable transformations”
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Coupling chemistry and cavitation bubbles: an emerging mode of activation boosted by the electrification of our society
- Data: 12 września 2024, Thursday, 10 am, Aula IChF PAN
- Prelegent: Prof. Dr. François JEROME, Affiliation: Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers, Poitiers (FRANCE)
- Instytucja: Excellence cluster 3: “Catalysis and materials for sustainable transformations”
- Miejsce:
Aula IChF PAN
- Osoba kontaktowa:
Contact person at IChF: Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Colmenares Q., jcarloscolmenares@ichf.edu.pl
- Abstrakt:
The massive defossilization of our society is now offering new prospects to activate chemicals in a potentially more sustainable way, for instance with the help of electric and magnetic fields, photons, electrons, mechanical forces, etc. In this context, we are exploring the use of cavitation bubbles, formed by the application of an ultrasonic wave in a liquid, to activate and convert chemicals without assistance of any catalyst. If excited species generated at the bubble collapse time can induce nearly barrier-less reactions, the control of the selectivity of induced reactions remains a scientific challenging task, which we (partly) address in this conference. In particular, we will highlight that NH3 can be advantageously activated without any catalyst, “just” by the application of ultrasonic wave at 550 kHz. This ultrasonic activation was exploited in the direct conversion of NH3 to N2H4 and its subsequent oxidation to a diimide for promoting the hydrogenation of alkenes to alkanes. The confinement of cavitation bubbles on the surface of solid catalysts (here CuO) will be also discussed to demonstrate that the energy stored in cavitation bubbles can be selectively transferred to a catalytic surface. It thus opens a mean to locally heat the surface of a catalyst rather than the complete bulk solution which is a much more energy consuming path.
Short CV
François JEROME got his PhD in 2000 from the University of Burgundy (France). Then he moved to UC-Davis (USA) for a one-year postdoctoral position, and then he returned back to France (Rennes) for a second postdoctoral position. In 2002, he was recruited as a permanent CNRS researcher at the laboratory of catalysis in organic chemistry at the University of Poitiers. In 2011, he was promoted CNRS research director at the Institute of Chemistry of Poitiers. His research largely concerns the conversion of renewable feedstocks to fine chemicals. In this field, he developed an expertise on catalysis and more particularly on the coupling of catalysis with auxiliary promotional tools. His research was awarded by the French Chemical society (prize from the catalysis division), the CNRS (national medal on innovation) and EFCATS (Francois Gault lectureship award). He is now leading a public/private network working on the catalytic conversion of renewable feedstocks, he is in the editorial board of the green chemistry journal and he is chairman of the International Symposium on Green Chemistry organized each two years at La Rochelle (France, > 700 attendees).
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18 Jun 2024
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Wireless electrochemistry for chirality detection
- Prof. Dr Serena Arnaboldi, University of Milan, Italy
- Excellence cluster 2: “Photonics and light driven processes”
Excellent Chemistry Lectures- Zobacz więcej
Wireless electrochemistry for chirality detection
- Data: 18 czerwca 2024, 10:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Dr Serena Arnaboldi, University of Milan, Italy
- Instytucja: Excellence cluster 2: “Photonics and light driven processes”
- Miejsce:
Aula IChF PAN
- Osoba kontaktowa:
Dr Sylwester Gawinkowski
- Abstrakt:
Prof. Serena Arnaboldi is a faculty member at the University of Milan, where she also obtained her PhD in 2015. She has continued her scientific journey by spending time in various laboratories in Italy (Rome, Genoa) and abroad at the Institute of Polymer Chemistry in Stuttgart, Germany, and the University of Bordeaux in France. In 2022, she was appointed Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Milan, where she leads her research group. Her scientific interests focus on electrochemistry, particularly chiral electroanalysis. She publishes in renowned scientific journals such as Chemical Science, Angewandte Chemie, and Nature Chemistry. She is also the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant.
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6 Jun 2024
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Compartmentalized Biohybrid Photocatalysis
- Prof. Lars Jeuken, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Excellence cluster 3: “Catalysis and materials for sustainable transformations”
Excellent Chemistry Lectures- Zobacz więcej
Compartmentalized Biohybrid Photocatalysis
- Data: 6 czerwca 2024, Thursday, 10 am
- Prelegent: Prof. Lars Jeuken, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Instytucja: Excellence cluster 3: “Catalysis and materials for sustainable transformations”
- Miejsce:
Aula IChF PAN
- Osoba kontaktowa:
dr hab. Adam Kubas, akubas@ichf.edu.pl
- Abstrakt:
In nature, charge recombination in photosystems is minimised by efficient charge separation across the thylakoid membrane. In a semi-artificial photosynthetic approach, we aim to mimic this principle by coupling light-harvesting or photocatalytic nanoparticles (NPs) to lipid vesicles. Key to this approach has been an icosahaem membrane protein, MtrCAB from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. In this protein, twenty haems form a ~15 nm long molecular wire, which efficiently transfer electrons across lipid membranes. Interaction and photo-induced electron transfer between light-harvesting NPs and MtrCAB is studied, among others, with life-time fluorescence, X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry and photoelectrochemistry. Transmembrane photoreduction is observed in liposomes loaded with redox-active dyes. Finally, by encapsulating biocatalysts like hydrogenase in the liposomes, a compartmentalized biohybrid photocatalytic system has been realised. We envision that these approaches can ultimately be used to develop whole-cell biophotocatalysis in the future.
Short CV
After studying Biology in Utrecht, Lars Jeuken started his PhD studies in 1995 in Leiden on the structure-function relationship of copper proteins. After a Post-Doc in Oxford (1999-2002), where he learned bioelectrochemistry, he was awarded a BBSRC David Phillips fellowship, which he took to Leeds to study respiratory membrane enzymes with electrochemistry. In Leeds, he received an ERC consolidator grant and became professor in 2017 while studying novel hybrid nanoparticle-biocatalytic system for solar fuel production. In 2021, he moved to Leiden where he continues his research.
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27 May 2024
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One- and two-photon excited surface-enhanced Raman scattering of biological samples
- Prof. Dr Janina Kneipp, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
Excellent Chemistry Lectures- Zobacz więcej
One- and two-photon excited surface-enhanced Raman scattering of biological samples
- Data: 27 maja 2024, 13:00
- Prelegent: Prof. Dr Janina Kneipp, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Instytucja: Excellent Chemistry Lecture - Cluster 1, IChF Aula
- Miejsce:
IChF Aula
- Osoba kontaktowa:
prof. Agnieszka Michota-Kamińska