Supramolecular-Surface Photochemistry: Exploring the Excited state Behavior of Confined Molecules Organized on Surfaces

光诱导的化学过程在生物系统(如动物的视觉和将阳光转化为植物中储存的化学能的光合作用)中起着重要的作用，并在太阳能装置中捕获光能并将其转化为其他形式的能量方面具有潜在的应用前景。了解光诱导化学过程的基本原理将有助于有效地利用光以达到有益的目的。为此，迈阿密大学的V.Ramamurthy教授致力于从根本上了解限制在分子容器中的小分子在不同类型的材料表面上的光诱导能量和电子转移过程。这个涉及美国和国际合作的跨学科研究项目为研究生和本科生提供了一个独特的环境，在光化学、超分子化学和表面化学的不同方面进行培训。此外，Rammaurthy教授还开发了专门的一般讲座，帮助学生和年轻的研究人员认识到基础科学在日常生活中的重要作用。在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，V.Ramamurthy教授研究了固体表面组装的超分子结构的激发态行为。本项目的具体目标是：1)研究分离和包裹在被动表面(如皂石粘土、α-磷酸锆(IV)和层状双氢氧化物)空穴中的有机供体和受体分子之间的光致能量转移；2)研究包裹在空穴中的有机分子(作为供体)和二氧化钛(作为受体)之间的光致电子转移；以及3)探索使用金团簇和纳米颗粒作为电子转移敏化剂来引发包裹在金团簇和纳米颗粒上的空穴中的有机小分子的光化学反应。

Light induced chemical processes play important roles in biological systems (such as vision of animals and photosynthesis for the conversion of sunlight to chemical energy stored in plants) and have potential applications in the capture and conversion of light energy to other forms of energy in solar energy devices. The understanding of the fundamentals of light induced chemical processes will help towards efficient utilization of light for beneficial purposes. To this end, Prof. V. Ramamurthy of University of Miami aims to gain a fundamental understanding of the light induced energy and electron transfer processes of small molecules confined in molecular containers on different types of material surface. This interdisciplinary research project, which involves US and international collaborations, provides a unique environment for training graduate and undergraduate students on different aspects of photochemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and surface chemistry. In addition, Prof. Rammamurthy develops special general lectures to help students and young researchers recognize the important role of basic science in everyday life. In this project, supported by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Prof. V. Ramamurthy investigates the excited state behavior of supramolecular structures assembled on solid surfaces. The specific objectives of this project are: 1) to study photoinduced energy transfer between organic donor and acceptor molecules which are separated and encapsulated in cavitands aligned on passive surfaces (e.g., saponite clay, alpha-zirconium (IV) phosphate and layered double hydroxide); 2) to investigate photoinduced electron transfer across the cavitand wall between an encapsulated organic molecule (as donor) and TiO2 (as acceptor) on which the cavitand container is anchored; and 3) to explore the use of gold clusters and nanoparticles as electron transfer sensitizers in triggering photochemical reactions of small organic molecules encapsulated in cavitands attached to the gold clusters and nanoparticles.