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Physicochemistry of Porphyrins and Chlorophylls

Porphyrins and chlorophylls are molecular pigments that play a key role in many biological processes involving charge or energy transfers. The catalysis of these processes relies on both the structural and electronic properties of these pigments and the biological matrices in which they are embedded. We have strengthened a collaboration with Niloufar Shafizadeh’s team (ISMO, University of Paris-Saclay) to study metal-ligand bonding in hemes through new molecular photophysics measurements [Shafizadeh2018, Aarabi2019, Shafizadeh2021]. We aim to understand in detail the role of chlorophyll vibration modes in the efficiency of certain electron transfer steps in photosynthesis, independent of the biological matrix (thesis of J. Attard) [Diop2023].

Possible sites for methanol addition (in orange) on C=C double bonds (in orange). In the inset, deprotonation followed by proton transfer.

Collaborations

Niloufar Shafizadeh (ISMO, U. Paris-Saclay), Philippe Carbonière (IPREM, U. Pau).