As part of the Photochemical Nanosciences Laboratory, established by Vincenzo Balzani, the research activity of the group is focused on photoactive supramolecular systems and nanoparticles. Quantum dots, dendrimers and luminescent or photochromic species are investigated for energy conversion (luminescent solar concentrators, artificial photosynthesis and photocatalysis), as well as imaging and photocontrolled nanostructures.
Photocatalytic processes can not only change reaction rates, but also modify chemical equilibria and, particularly, convert light into chemical energy (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 11320–11337). Our attention is devoted to the design of the photocatalysts and the study of the photochemical mechanism for:
The aim of this research is: the design of photocatalysts, both organic chromophores and metal complexes, and the understanding of the photocatalytic mechanism. Recent examples are: the elucidation of the role of solvated electron generation in photocatalysis (Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 14739-14745) and the use of a cobalt complex with exclusive metal-centered chirality for asymmetric photocatalysis (Nature Comm. 2025, 16, 6635).
from widely available raw materials, as H2O and CO2. Recent examples are the photoreduction of CO2 promoted by organic photosensitisers and a Mn(I) catalyst (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 33010–33022) and the photoelectrochemical valorisation of biomass derivatives (ChemSusChem 2025, e202402604).
Light-harvesting antennae, constituted by silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) covalently functionalized at their surface with chromophores display strong, tunable and long-lived (microsecond time-scale) luminescence, insensitive to dioxygen (PhysChemChemPhys 2017, 19, 26507 – 26526).
Luminescent QDs are investigated for two main application fields:
in (a) photoelectrochemical cells for the production of added-value chemicals using CuInS2 QDs as photoanodic materials (Adv. Opt. Mat. 2024, 2400259) or (b) luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) taking advantage of the apparent large Stokes shift of SiNCs, which absorb in the UV and emit in the red to near-infrared spectral region (ACS Photonics 2019, 6, 2303−2311).
by time-gated detection, taking advantage of the long-lived emission of Mn(II)-doped CuInS2 QDs (Small 2024, 2404425).
The hexathiobenzene core is not luminescent in fluid solution and becomes strongly phosphorescent (PLQY ca. 100%) in rigid media at room temperature.
A recent example demonstrated that these materials dispay room-temperature phosphorescence vapochromism through conformational control (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 32309–32314).
The hexathiobenzene chromophore can also be encapsulated into silica nanoparticles for dioxygen sensing in bioimagin applications (J. Phys. Chem. C 2019, 123, 29884−29890).