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中扮演着重要的角色（如动物的视觉和光合作用将阳光转化为储存在植物中的化学能），并且在太阳能装置中将光能捕获和转化为其他形式的能量方面具有潜在的应用。了解光诱导化学过程的基本原理将有助于为有益的目的有效地利用光。为此，迈阿密大学的V. Ramamurthy教授旨在对不同类型材料表面的分子容器中的小分子的光诱导能量和电子转移过程有一个基本的了解。这个跨学科的研究项目，涉及美国和国际合作，为培养研究生和本科生在光化学，超分子化学和表面化学的不同方面提供了一个独特的环境。此外，Rammamurthy教授还举办专题讲座，帮助学生和年轻研究人员认识到基础科学在日常生活中的重要作用。在这个项目中，由化学学部的大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目支持，V. Ramamurthy教授研究了组装在固体表面上的超分子结构的激发态行为。该项目的具体目标是：1)研究有机供体和受体分子之间的光诱导能量转移，这些分子被分离并封装在排列在被动表面上的空腔中（例如皂土粘土，α -磷酸锆和层状双氢氧化物）；2)研究被封装的有机分子（作为供体）和二氧化钛（作为受体）之间的光诱导电子在空腔和容器上的转移；3)探索利用金团簇和纳米颗粒作为电子传递敏化剂，引发附着在金团簇和纳米颗粒上的空腔中包裹的小有机分子的光化学反应。

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.