Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández Research Group

Case Western Reserve University

How do light-induced electronic excited-state dynamics in molecules control photochemical reactions relevant to therapy and imaging? The group studies excited-state dynamics of UVA sensitizers and DNA analogues using time-resolved electronic spectroscopy and ultrafast methods to identify reaction pathways. Researchers measure ultrafast intersystem crossing rates and singlet oxygen yields in heavy-atom-free photosensitizers to evaluate photodynamic therapy efficacy. They synthesize and test small-molecule photosensitizers, photoswitches, and photonic materials, combining spectroscopy, HPLC, NMR, mass spectrometry, and microscopy for characterization. Computational chemistry and time-resolved instrumentation from femtoseconds to microseconds are used to link electronic relaxation mechanisms with observed chemical and cellular dynamics and photophysical behavior.