Singlet oxygen, the dioxygen molecule in its first electronic excited state, is a non-radical reactive oxygen species that plays key roles in a large variety of chemical and biological processes. Singlet oxygen can be conveniently produced by energy transfer from a photoexcited dye, a process referred to as photosensitisation. The photosensitised production of singlet oxygen forms the basis of the novel medical technology called photodynamic therapy and is also used by plants as part of their defense mechanisms agains pathogen infections. In this talk we shall review the properties as well as some biological and medical applications of singlet oxygen, with special emphasis on the laser techniques developed in our laboratory for its study, ranging from time-resolved near-IR photon counting to laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy.


Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 11:45. Seminar Room

Hosted by Prof. Melike Lakadamyali