Photophysical and photochemical methods applied in the environmental and materials fields

The study of photophysical properties (mainly fluorescence emission) and photochemical transformations finds wide applications in both the environmental and materials fields. Photochemical reactions are involved in many transformations not only in the atmosphere, but also in waters, soil and living organisms. They contribute to the degradation of organic pollutants in a natural environment, particularly in the case of poorly biodegradable compounds; furthermore, they are widely used for water treatment.
Main research subjects concern:

• direct and indirect phototrasformations of organic pollutants in the environment;
• photochemical processes for water treatment.

Fluorimetric methods are a powerful tool for investigating, at a molecular and supramolecular level, the chemical properties and dynamics of materials. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques find applications in different research subjects:

• spectroscopic and photophysical properties of organic fluorophores;
• development of fluorescent chemical sensors for environmental monitoring; 
• photophysical characterization of organic semiconducting polymers for photovoltaic and electro-optical devices.

Researchers: Caselli