The team studies the primary physico-chemical processes induced by radiation (accelerated electrons, UV-visible light) in condensed phases. These processes are probed using transient absorption spectroscopy from femtoseconds to milliseconds. Most activities are closely linked to the ELYSE facility. In addition to classic optical pump-probe experiments, ELYSE offers a unique worldwide opportunity to conduct pulsed radiolysis experiments with picosecond resolution.

The processes examined include the relaxation of the excited state, solvation effects, electron transfer, and the reaction dynamics of radicals. In particular, the transformation of the spatially anisotropic energy distribution generated by ionizing radiation into homogeneous patterns is characterized. The systems studied range from pure solvents to various organic molecules, metallic nanoparticles, and DNA (mononucleotides, duplexes, and guanine quadruplexes) in solution.

The team is heavily involved in the development and operation of ELYSE, which hosts numerous researchers from other national and international institutions.

Research projects fall into two major application areas: energy and health. In the field of energy, research focuses on:

• • • • • • • • Reactivity in the complex environment of nuclear waste reprocessing
              • CO2 conversion and observation of CO2•− reactivity on nanoparticles
              • Simulation of the radiolytic degradation of battery electrolytes

In the field of health, the team explores:

• • • • • • • • Processes induced in DNA by direct UV radiation absorption
              • Radiosensitization induced by gold metal nanoparticles
              • The mechanism of DNA base damage
              • Ultrafast charge localization in biosystems