CLAMP Project

Coordinator

Jérôme Fresnais (PHENIX)

CNRS

Keywords

Photactive ligands, molecular complexes, magnetic nanoparticles, ultrafast excitation, opto-magnetic transfers 

Summary

The interaction of light with photosensitive systems represents an extremely active field in research laboratories, with numerous applications in health, the environment, data storage, etc. These photosensitive materials can be used, for example, to probe local properties or to stimulate the active release of drugs. By coupling them to nanoparticles, it is then possible to bring out new properties, as isthe case with gold nanoparticles. Here, we will couple molecular compounds to the surface of magnetic nanoparticles, which are important objects of study in fields ranging from catalysis to medical applications. These assemblies will allow us to answer a number of fundamental questions about the magnetic moment dynamics of iron oxide nanoparticles. Indeed, understanding how heat transfer takes place at short times remains an important community question that we aim to answer. Using ultrafast dynamic measurements, we will elucidate the profile of heat exchange with the nanoparticle’s immediate environment, but more generally how nanoparticle spins couple with the transient energy levels of ligands on their surface. Different types of ligands will be grafted onto the nanoparticles, each allowing a particular type of interaction to be studied and the response of particle moments to the application of a magnetic field to be explored. These will include azo derivatives with switchable dipole moments and photoactive molecular complexes whose ionic oxidation state can be photodynamically modulated.