PROJECT PROGRAM: PN III - P4 - Fundamental and Frontier Research

PROJECT TYPE: Exploratory Research Projects (PCE2020)

PROJECT CODE: PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-0770

CONTRACT NUMBER: PCE 187/2021

EXECUTION PERIOD: 2021-2023

PROJECT TITLE: Photochemical behavior of some polydopamine-based nanostructures

PROJECT ACRONYM: PhotoPolyDopa

PROJECT LEADER: Dr. ATTILA BENDE (Scientific Researcher I)

PROJECT FUNDING: 1,198,032.00 RON

PROJECT HOST: National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM), Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA

ABSTRACT: The present project proposes to elaborate a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation in order to characterize in details the photochemical behavior of the polydopamine-based nanostructures. To achieve this goal, femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy techniques (transient-absorption and time-resolved fluorescence) as experimental- and the density functional theory (DFT) and its linear response time-dependent (TDDFT) version will be considered as the theoretical framework to reveal the absorption efficiency of the electromagnetic field starting from the simpler dopamine to the more complex polydopamine (PDA) polymer structures, about the time scale of the excited state relaxation dynamics and the role of the graphene and TiO2 substrates on these photochemical processes of PDA. In the first period of the project implementation, the simple case of dopamine molecule will be analyzed. This investigation will be followed by a detailed description of the photochemical processes in PDA oligomers, oligomer aggregates and oligomer aggregates of PDA analogues. Finally, the more complex cases of PDA coated graphene and TiO2 nanostructure will be explored and the role of the substrates on the photochemical properties of the PDAs will be drawn up. Based on the system-level analyzes one can provide a comprehensive picture of photochemical properties of the PDA-based nanostructures that can be used to develop new materials with special optical properties.