Blancafort, Lluís

Dr. Lluís Blancafort received his degree in chemical engineering at the Institut Químic de Sarrià (Barcelona) in 1991. He carried out his Ph. D. thesis on the reactivity of alfa-peroxy lactones at the University of Würzburg, under the supervision of Prof. Waldemar Adam, and received his Ph. D. in 1996. Between 1997 and 2002 he carried out a post-doctoral stay with Prof. Michael A. Robb at King’s College London, working on the computation of excited-state mechanisms. In 2002 he joined the University of Girona as a Ramón y Cajal fellow and became associate professor in 2007. Between 2007 and 2015 he directed the Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi. His main research interest is the theory and computation of excited states and non-adiabatic processes, including excited-state potential energy surfaces and dynamics, with a special interest in conical intersections.

Photochemistry and photophysics

We focus on relevant applications in biology, chemistry and materials, including:
– Biological chromophores: DNA nucleobases, GFP chromophore, coelenteramides
– Photochemical reactions: diazo-based switches, Wolff rearrangement, excited state hydrogen transfer
– Aggregates: AIEgens, melanin
– Photocatalysis on semiconductors
– Extended conical intersection seams

Melanin

Melanin is the biopolymer responsible for protection against harmful light action in living beings. In this line we model its photochemical and photophysical properties, starting from the oligomeric components and moving up to small aggregates, nanoparticles, and large melanosomes. Research funded by Mel.Photo.Protect Marie Sklodowska Curie IF of Jun Wang.

GADOLINIUM-BASED PHOTOSENSITIZERS FOR PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

In this project we model the photophysics of new Gd-based photosensitizers with the aim of developing a new hybrid technology for treatment of deep lying tumours, combining neutron-activated and photodynamic therapy. Research funded by FRINGE FET-OPEN project.

AGGREGATION INDUCED EMISSION

Aggregation induced emission (AIE) is an important property of luminescent molecules, since it facilitates their use as luminophores in optical applications. We have introduced the Restricted Access to a Conical Intersection model to explain the behavior of AIEgens in solution and are currently developing approaches to model the photophysics of AIEgen aggregates and crystals.

PHOTOCHEMICAL APPROACH TO PHOTOCATALYSIS ON SURFACES

In this line we are pioneering the combination of periodical calculations with a photochemical approach to explain prototypical cases of photocatalytic reactivity (H2O and CH3OH on TiO2). Our approach considers different excitonic configurations and allows to directly assess the probability of charge recombination.

EXPERIMENTAL COLLABORATIONS

– Ben-Zhong Tang (Hong-Kong University of Science and Technology): AIEgens
– Samuel Leutwyler (University of Bern): Cytosine derivatives
– Stephen R. Meech (East Anglia University) GFP chromophore derivatives
– Bern Kohler (Ohio State University): Melanin components
– Germano Giuliani (Università degli Studi di Siena): Coelenteramides
– Asier Longarte (Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea): N-heterocycles