MELA-NIR · MELAnin-inspired radical architectures for Near-InfraRed-driven ultrafast photochemistry in water

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Project objective

Harnessing solar energy for sustainable chemistry requires platforms with panchromatic absorption, extending into the near-infrared (NIR), and excited-state radicals that persist in biologically relevant aqueous media long enough to drive reactions. Yet no system combines both, leaving a “NIR photoredox gap” that limits green manufacturing, pollutant remediation, and biocompatible chemistry. MELA-NIR will close this gap by developing melanin-inspired radical architectures. Synthetic melanins uniquely combine broad absorption, aqueous stability, and radical lifetimes beyond milliseconds, offering scalable, non-toxic alternatives to scarce metal-based platforms while extending performance into the untapped NIR. MELA-NIR pursues three goals: (i) map radical formation from femtoseconds to seconds using ultrafast transient absorption and IR spectroscopy (WP1); (ii) engineer hydroquinone–quinone donor–acceptor systems and charge-transfer-active cofactors to enhance NIR activity (WP2); and (iii) benchmark optimized scaffolds for NIR-driven photoredox reactivity and antioxidant function in water (WP3). Together, these steps will establish design rules for light-tunable radical buffering and deliver proof-of-concept for green chemistry and redox biology. The fellowship provides interdisciplinary training in spectroscopy, materials chemistry, and photophysics. At Ohio State University with Prof. Bern Kohler, I will gain expertise in ultrafast IR and melanin synthesis, complementing my UV–visible ultrafast background. At Politecnico di Milano with Prof. Giulio Cerullo, I will apply advanced NIR multidimensional spectroscopy to assess reactivity. This two-way transfer will equip me to establish an independent European research line at the physics–chemistry interface. By enabling NIR-induced radical photochemistry in aqueous media, MELA-NIR will advance solar-to-chemical conversion, support the European Climate Law, and position Europe as a leader in sustainable photochemistry.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• POLITECNICO DI MILANO · MilanoCoordinatorItaly
• THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · ColumbusUnited States

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101282934