EMU: Singlet oxygen core facility with UV excitation and scanning for imaging complex samples

• Grant number: 23/17062-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Infrastructure Program - Small Medium Sized
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio da Silva Baptista
• Grantee: Mauricio da Silva Baptista
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Camila Squarzoni Dale ; Cassius Vinicius Stevani ; Cristina Kurachi ; Lucia Rossetti Lopes ; Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato

Abstract

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is the first excited state of molecular oxygen with 94.3 kJ/mol in excess of energy to its triplet ground state, and with a chemical reactivity completely different from that of molecular oxygen, as 1O2 can be added directly to double bonds. 1O2 plays important roles in materials science, and in the basic disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine, being the main species responsible for catalyzing photosensitized oxidations. Over the last twenty years we have worked daily to make our 1O2 central installation one of the best equipped in the world. However, we now need hardware/software replacements to continue to function and expansion to remain in the state of the art. Replacing some parts of the equipment is essential to keep it working, as the central part of the equipment is already more than 20 years old. We also propose to expand the central facility to enable UVA excitation and to enable the construction of 1O2 emission images. The construction of 1O2 images, currently only available to a few other research laboratories in the world, will allow a significant improvement in the tool to characterize the presence and reactivity of 1O2 in different environments. In recent years, great improvements have been achieved in real-time tracking of 1O2 by different detection methods, including detection of the emission feature around 1270 nm, delayed fluorescence detection and photosensitizer phosphorescence detection. We propose the acquisition of a spectrophosphorometer with 3D functionality to enable the acquisition of spatially resolved scans of emission signals with time-resolved detection, in the 400-1400 nm wavelength range (using appropriate filters and optics). Dozens of academic and business users are and will continue to be direct beneficiaries of the singlet oxygen core-facility. (AU)