Descrizione del progetto
Rivoluzionare la fotochimica con il controllo polaritonico transiente
La fotochimica è un ramo della chimica che prevede l’analisi delle reazioni chimiche indotte dalla luceQuesto campo di studi, che possiede un ventaglio di applicazioni in varie industrie, contempla l’impiego della stimolazione laser esterna e della modifica chimica per manipolare in modo efficiente le molecole, fino a farle diventare prodotti utili. Il progetto ULYSSES, finanziato dall’UE, si prefigge di rivoluzionare il settore della fotochimica sviluppando un nuovo processo chimico che ricorre alla luce per consentire una manipolazione e un controllo chimico efficienti, precisi e in tempo reale delle molecole, aprendo a infinite possibilità di innovazione. L’innovazione principale del progetto è l’introduzione del controllo polaritonico transiente, che si avvale dell’impiego dei polaritoni attivati su richiesta nelle nanocavità ottiche.
Obiettivo
Photochemistry deals with the light-assisted transformation of molecules into useful products. These processes are routinely manipulated by chemical modification and external laser driving. Femtosecond coherent control uses ultrashort pulses to initiate and actively modulate a chemical reaction. However successful control of efficiency and specificity of a chemical process is still awaited.
ULYSSES proposes a radical departure from the way chemical processes are currently controlled by light. I will introduce an innovative “transient polaritonic control” for manipulation of photoinduced processes, using polaritons (hybrid light-matter states in strong coupling regime) activated on demand in optical nanocavities. I will exploit tunable resonances in metasurfaces (nanostructure arrays) excited by ultrashort pulses for controlling the energy landscape of molecules. Reconfigurable molecular/metasurface “metacavities” will switch on/off strong coupling for real-time selective reshaping of transition states, that I will apply to the proof-of-principle control of a photoisomerization reaction.
The project proposes a paradigm-shift in coherent control through three objectives, combining physical chemistry with ultrafast nanophotonics, which perfectly suit my scientific profile.
1) Develop a novel multidimensional “kD Spectroscopy” for characterizing fundamental processes in strongly coupled systems with the unprecedented combination of temporal and momentum resolutions.
2) Design and characterize reconfigurable metasurfaces with ultrafast all-optical tuning of resonances to enable transient strong coupling.
3) Demonstrate the manipulation of the energy landscape of a photoisomerization by reshaping the transition states via transient strong coupling in a metacavity.
I foresee my unique approach will transform chemical control by enabling real-time manipulation of the desired reaction pathways with potential for quantum chemistry, remote control, site-selectivity, catalysis.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)Istituzione ospitante
20133 Milano
Italia