HEL4CHIROLED-ITN counts on the expertise of 11 Universities and 8 Industry participants located in 10 different countries.

The combine involvement from both, public and private sectors (that will feed into the overall goal through secondments, regular virtual meetings and face-to-face meetings), will offer an international, intersectoral and multidisciplinary environment for ESR training. 

Beneficiaries

-. CNRS – University of Rennes 1: Jeanne Crassous

The research in Crassous’s group combines the chemistry of metallic ions with the chemistry of helicenes to obtain original helical π-conjugated structures, showing great potential as chiral molecular materials for opto-electronic applications. In a complementary approach, the group investigates the development of innovative chiral organic molecular materials based on π-extended helical architectures resulting from the combination of helicene units and achiral organic dyes. Website: https://iscr.univ-rennes1.fr/jeanne-crassous

-. University of Geneva: Jérôme Lacour

Lacour’s group research aims at the preparation of chiral salts and ylides, and their use in synthetic (asymmetric) chemistry. An emphasis is given to the preparation and characterization of new chiral molecular structures using unprecedented chemical transformations or mechanistic pathways. Strategies are developed to prepare these often-elaborate skeletons from simple building blocks in very few synthetic steps. With the new compounds in hand, properties are carefully analysed and, whenever possible, applied to a variety of topics and fields. Website: https://www.unige.ch/sciences/chiorg/lacour/

-. Institute of Organic Chemistry & Biochemistry, Czech Republic: Irena Stara & Ivo Stary

The research is focused on the non-trivial π-electron architectures, which are attractive for applications to chemistry and physics. Stary’s group pays attention to the synthesis of helically chiral aromatics (helicenes) that are enantiopure and properly functionalised. They investigate systematically their (chir)optical properties, self-assembly in crystals or at interfaces, charge/spin transport properties and on-surface reactivity at nanoscale. Their ultimate goal is to develop smart molecular devices. Website: https://stary.group.uochb.cz/en

-. University of Pisa: Lorenzo di Bari

The research in di Bari’s group is mainly interested in the stereochemistry of complex systems, like flexible molecules existing as conformational manifolds, supramolecular systems, and fluxional coordination compounds. The most recent activity focuses on chiral molecules and chiral lanthanide complexes for organic optoelectronic devices. The group studies the circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and the electronic and vibrational circular dichroism responses. Website: https://people.unipi.it/lorenzo_dibari/

-. Imperial College of London: Matthew Fuchter

Fuchter’s group use expertise in chemical synthesis to impact molecular science in chemistry, biology and materials. They are actively exploring ways in which chiral materials can be used to enable/improve function in a range of technological applications, particularly organic electronic devices. These new applications often include organisation dependent on chiral composition, circularly polarised (CP) light and the spin of moving electrons (spintronics). Website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/fuchter-group/

-. Durham University: David Parker & Robert Pal

Durham University is involved in the synthesis and investigation of a variety of systems for use as analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents in vivo and in vitro, typically using chiral metal complexes. The research is focus in four main areas: i) lanthanide complexes as chiral probes and labels; ii) euroTracker dyes; iii) non-classical paramagnetic susceptibility and anisotropy in lanthanide coordination complexes; and iv) parashift probes: triple imaging in MRI. Website: http://community.dur.ac.uk/dp.group/home.htm

-. Eindhoven University of Technology: Bert Meijer & Ghislaine Vantomme

Their research is mainly directed to the design, synthesis, characterization and possible applications of supramolecular systems with unprecedented properties and functions. It focuses on fundamental studies to understand complex multi-component supramolecular systems including the assembly behaviour into supramolecular polymers. These supramolecular materials are studied to create new avenues for adaptive soft materials and materials for nanotechnology and energy. Website: https://www.meijerlab.nl/

-. Cambridge University: Richard Friend

Cavendish laboratory research encompasses the physics, materials science and engineering of semiconductor devices made with carbon-based semiconductors, particularly polymers. Friend’s research group was first to demonstrate using polymers efficient operation of field-effect transistors and light-emitting diodes. These advances revealed that the semiconductor properties of this broad class of materials are unexpectedly clean, so that semiconductor devices can reveal their novel semiconductor physics, including their operation in efficient photovoltaic diodes, optically-pumped lasing, directly-printed polymer transistor circuits and light-emitting transistors. Website : https://www.oe.phy.cam.ac.uk/directory/rhf10

-. ADVENT Technologies : Christos Chochos

ADVENT Technologies offers a state-of-the-art electron donor conjugated polymer for organic solar cells (OPVs). They provide a diverse range of polymers for innovative energy applications. The developed polymers show an excellent performance n low light conditions, high power conversion efficiencies and are compatible with fullerene and non-fullerene derivatives as electron acceptors. They are prepared by eco-friendly processes in a fully roll-to-roll modules. Website: https://www.advent.energy/

-. DIAMOND Light Source: Giuliano Siligardi

Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron. It works like a giant microscope, harnessing the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study from fossils to jet engines to viruses and vaccines. Giuliano Siligardi is part of the Soft Condensed Matter Group which provides the infrared (IR) and Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy of Diamond. This allows the analysis of a range of samples that include two-dimensional thin films (photovoltaics), living mammalian cells, three-dimensional matrices, and nanoparticles in non-crystalline states. Website: https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/About.html

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Partner Organizations

-. Jagiellonian University: Monika Srebro-Hooper

Monika Srebro-Hooper is an independent researcher in the Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry. Her research is focused on quantum-chemical descriptions of electronic structure and spectroscopic properties of various chemical systems, with the aim to understand structure-bonding-properties relationships in (metal)organic materials. Website: https://www.academia-net.org/profil/dr-habil-monika-srebro-hooper-srebro/1406517

-. Weizmann Institute of Science: Ron Naaman & Karen Michaeli

Ron Naaman’s group is investigating the new electronic properties that emerge when organic molecules are interacting among themselves or interacting with an inorganic substrate. The work combines research into the basic principles that are the origin for these properties and applications that result from them. They established that the organization of self-assembled monolayers on a semiconductor induces charge transfer. This charge transfer process affects the electronic properties of the substrate and may induce variations in conductivity, magnetic or superconductive properties. Website: https://www.weizmann.ac.il/chemphys/naaman/

-. JASCO Europe

JASCO is a fabricant of chromatography (HPLC, fast LC, supercritical CO₂ chromatography SFC/SFE) and spectroscopy (FT/IR, UV/Visible/near IR, Fluorimeter, Polarimeter, CD spectropolarimeter, CPL, VCD-IR, Raman) laboratory materials. The company has 60 years of experience in research and innovation. Website: https://www.jascofrance.fr/

-. CEA Tech

The laboratory of electronic and information technology (LETI), located in the CEA of Grenoble (France), focuses its activity on the micro- and nano- technologies and their applications as components for communication systems, as part of the image technology and micro-/nano- systems, as well as their applications in different biology and health branches. Website: http://www.cea.fr/english

-. BioTools

Biotools provide Tools to help scientist make discoveries and, at the same time, these Tools can be used to discover new information about molecules that make up biological life as we know it. Biotools concentrate the efforts in the areas of proteins and chirality by specializing in two types of pharmaceuticals: chiral-organic and protein-based drugs. Website: https://www.biotools.us/#home

-. Münster University: Helmut Zacharias

Zacharias’ group is concerned with physical and chemical processes upon, within and underneath surfaces and interfaces. A goal is to contribute in understanding catalytic surface reactions. In order to investigate the dynamic of such reactions, the systems under investigation are optically excited and the contributions of the internal states (rotation and vibration) of the different molecules as well as their spatial alignment are probed via the interaction with pulsed, tuneable laser radiation. Website: https://www.uni-muenster.de/Physik.PI/Zacharias/en/

-. Chiral Technologies Europe

Chiral Technologies Europe is your local resource for all Daicel enantioselective chromatography products. As a member of the Daicel Corporation, Chiral Technologies offer the most extensive portfolio of chiral stationary phases available. The separation of chiral molecules into single enantiomers is essential for fast drug discovery and control of safe and effective manufacturing processes. Chiral Technologies also provides chiral method development, technical support, and separation services. Website: https://chiraltech.com/eu/

-. UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS: Eli Zysman-Colman

The research program focuses on the rational design of: i) luminophores for energy-efficient visual displays and plat panel lighting based on organic light emitting diode (OLED) and light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEEC) device architectures; ii) light harvesting dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and organic photovoltaics; iii) sensing materials employed in electrochemiluminescence; and iv) photoredox catalysts for organic reactions. Website: http://www.zysman-colman.com/home

-. SCITEC-CNR: Umberto Giovanella

Dr. Giovanella is an expert in: i) the development and fabrication of prototypes of organic and hybrid Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic cells, ii) the study of solution processable semiconductors for polarized electroluminescence, and iii) the optimization of LEDs architectures. Website: Umberto Giovanella