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Organic Photo-Materials Lab

[…A central lesson of science is that to understand complex issues, we must try to free our minds of dogma and to guarantee the freedom to publish, to contradict, and to experiment…] – Carl Sagan

2024–2025

  1. J. M. O’Shea, A. M. Jamhawi, Y. Ju Yun, F. Peccati, G. Jiménez-Osés*, A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Doublet Spin State Mediated Photoluminescence Upconversion in Organic Radical Donor-Triplet Acceptor Dyads, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147 (1), 1017–1027. (link)
  2. M. T. Fortunato, J. M. O’Shea, J. Huang, H. Chandrasihi, E. B. King, A. Jamhawi, A. J.-L. Ayitou,* P. T. Snee*, and C. Turro*. Lifetime Leveraging of Semiconductor Heterostructured and Doped ZnCdS Nanoparticles for Photochemical H2 Production; Nanoscale, 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D4NR04427D. (link)
  3. S. Maharjan, R. D. Kishore, B. Albano, P. A. Ondiek, J. M. O’Shea, A. G. Cosme-Hernandez, D. Wink, B. C. Pemberton, S. Lopez*, and A. J.-L. Ayitou,* Recyclable All-in-one Organo-Photo-Auxiliaries Enabling Metal-free sp3C–sp3C  Coupling Reactions with Diverse Functionalities, Adv. Synt. Cat., 2024, 366, 1–7. (link)

2022–2023

  1. K. Wang, D. Liu, M. K. Manna, G. Yang, L. Li, X. Zhang, A. J.-L. Ayitou,* N. Jiang*, Substrate effects in the self-assembling of N,N-diphenylquinodimethyl thioamide on transition metals, J. Phys. Chem. C 2023, 127 (33), 16339–16345. (link)
  2. G. Yang, Y. Ju Yun, F. Peccati, A. M. Jamhawi, S. Jockush, G. Jiménez-Osés*, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Unraveling the Photophysical Characteristics, Aromaticity, and Stability of p-Extended Quinoidal-Acene Thioamides, ChemPhysChem 2023, 24 (21), e202200906 (1–10). (link)
  3. J. Morgan, Y. Ju Yun, A. M. Jamhawi, S. M. Islam, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Photophysical Insights of Halogenated Dipyrrolonaphthyridine-diones as Potential Photodynamic Therapy Agents, J. Photochem. Photobio. A 2023, 99 (2), 761–768. (link)
  4. Y. Ju Yun, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola, B. T. Diroll, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Triplet Photodynamic and Luminescence Upconversion in Donor-Acceptor Dyads with Slip-stacked vs. Co-facial Arrangement, J. Mat. Chem. C 2022, 10, 7093–7102. (link)
  5. Y. Ju Yun, N. M. K. Manna, Kamatham, J. Li, S. Liu, F. Peccati, B. Pemberton, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola, G. Jiménez-Osés, A. Yu Rogachev, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Synthesis, and Photophysics of Triplet Donor-Acceptor Dyads: ortho– vs. para–Phenyl Positional Effect on Intramolecular Triplet Energy Transfer, J. Photochem. Photobio. 2022, 10, 100112. (link)
  6. S. Maharjan, Y. Ju Yun, V. A. Okello, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola, and A. Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Photometric Sensing of Heavy Metal Pollutants using a Naphthoquino-bis-thioamide Dye:  Photophysics of the Metal-Organic Complexes, J. Photochem. Photobio. A 2022, 424, 113648. (link)

2016–2021 (Before Joining UIC)

  1. Y. Ju Yun, J. Isokuortti, T. Laaksonen, N. Durandin, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Triplet-triplet Annihilation Photon-Upconversion in Hydrophilic Media with Biorelevant Cholesteryl Triplet Energy Acceptors, J. Photochem. Photobio. A 2021, 418, 113412. (link)
  2. J. Morgan, Y. Ju Yun, and A. Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Estimation of Singlet Oxygen Quantum Yield Using Novel Green-Absorbing Baird-type Aromatic Photosensitizers, J. Photochem. Photobio. 2021, 98(1) 57–61. (link)
  3. O. Onajole*, S. Lun, Y. Ju Yun, D. Y. Langue, M. Jaskula- Dybka, A. Flores, E. Frazier, A. C. Scurry, A. Zavala, K. R. Arreola, B. Pierzchalski, A. J.-L. Ayitou, W. R. Bisha, Design, Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel imidazo[1,2-a] pyridinecarboxamides as potent antituberculosis agents; Chem. Biol. Drugs Des. 2020, 1362–1371. (link)
  4. Y. Ju Yun, N. Kamatham, M. K. Manna, J. Li, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola, A. Yu. Rogachev, and A. Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Interplay Between Energy & Charge Transfers in a Polyaromatic Triplet Donor–Acceptor Dyad, J. Phys. Chem. C 2020, 124, 12205–12216. (link)
  5.  N. Kamatham, J. Li, S. Shokri, G. Yang, A. Yu. Rogachev*, and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Quinoidization of Polyacene Diimides: Photophysics, Aromaticity, and Stability of the Novel Quinoidal Acenes, Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2020, 917–922. (link) (Cover Page
  6. K. Lipinska*, F. Cavallo, A. J.-L. Ayitou, and C. Segre, Quencher-Free Enhanced Emission in Cluster-Free Er-doped Heavy Metal Oxide Glasses; Opt. Mat. Exp., 2019, 9 (3), 1072–1084. (link)
  7. M. K. Manna, S. Shokri, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, New Perspectives for Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Photo Upconversion Using All-Organic Donors and Acceptors Chromophores; Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 5809–5818. (link)
  8. S. Shokri, J. Li, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola, A. Ugrinov, S. Jockush, A. Yu Rogachev and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, A Naphtho-p-quinodimethane Exhibiting Baird’s Anti-Aromaticity, Broken Symmetry and Attractive Photoluminescence. J. Org. Chem., 2017, 82, 10167–10173. (link)
  9. S. Shokri, G. P. Wiederrecht, D. J. Gosztola and A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Photon Upconversion Using Baird-Type Anti-Aromatic Quinoidal Naphthalene Derivative as a Sensitizer, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2017, 121, 23377–23382. (link)

Other Publications

Graduate (Ph.D.) & Postdoctoral Publications
  1. J. H. Park, M. Hughs, T. S. Chung, A. J.-L. Ayitou, V. Breslin, M. A. Garcia-Garibay*, Generation and Reactivity Studies of Diarylmethyl Radical Pairs in Crystalline Tetraarylacetones via Laser Flash Photolysis Using Nanocrystalline Suspensions, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 13312–13317. (link)
  2. T. S. Chung, A. J.-L. Ayitou, J. H. Park, V. M. Breslin and M. A. Garcia-Garibay*, Photochemistry and Transmission Pump-Probe Spectroscopy of 2-Azidobiphenyls in Aqueous Nanocrystalline Suspensions: Simplified Kinetics in Crystalline Solids, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2017, 8, (8), 1845–1850. (link)
  3. L. Catalano, S. Perez-Estrada, H.-H. Wang, A. J.-L. Ayitou, S. I. Khan, G. Terraneo, P. Metrangolo, S. Brown, and M. A. Garcia-Garibay*, Rotational Dynamics of Diazabicyclo [2.2.2]octane in Isomorphous Halogen-Bonded Co-crystals: Entropic and Enthalpic Effects. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 843–848. (link)
  4. A. J.-L. Ayitou, K. Flynn; S. Jockush; S. I. Khan, and M. A. Garcia-Garibay*, More Efficient in the Solid State than in Solution: Transient Absorption and Kinetics Studies of Nanocrystalline α–(ortho-Tolyl)-acetophenones.  J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138 (8), 2644–2648. (link)
  5. E. Kumarasamy, A. J.-L. Ayitou, N. Vallavoju , R. Raghunathan, A. Iyer, A. Clay, S. K. Kandappa, and J. Sivaguru*, Tale of Twisted Molecules. Atropselective Photoreactions: Taming Light Induced Asymmetric Transformations through Non-biaryl Atropisomers, Acc. Chem. Res, 2016, 49, 2713–2724. (link)
  6. N. Vallavoju, A. Sreenitya, A. J.-L. Ayitou, S. Jockusch, B. S. Raghavan, and J. Sivaguru*, Photoreactions with a Twist: Atropisomerism-driven Divergent reactivity of Enones with UV and Visible Light. Chem. Eur. J., 2016, 22, 11339–1138. (link)
  7. A. Clay, E. Kumarasamy, A. J.-L. Ayitou, and J. Sivaguru*, Photochemistry of Atropisomers: Non-biaryls Atropisomers for Stereospecific Phototransformations. Chem. Soc. Lett., 2014, 43, 1816–1825. (link)
  8. A. J.-L Ayitou, T. Clay, E. Kumarasamy, S. Jockusch, and J. Sivaguru*, Enantiospecific photochemical 6p-ring closure of a-substituted atropisomeric acrylanilides – Role of alkali metal ions. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.,2014, 13, 141–144. (link)
  9. A. J.-L Ayitou, G. Fukuhara, E. Kumarasamy, Y. Inoue*, and J. Sivaguru*, Enantiospecific photochemical transformation under elevated pressure. Chem. Eur. J.,2013, 19 (13), 4327–4334. (link)
  10. A. J.-L. Ayitou, B. C. Pemberton, E. Kumarasamy, N. Vallavoju, and J. Sivaguru*, Selective light-induced reactions in solution and in water soluble nano-containers. Chimia, 2011, 65, 202. (link)
  11. A. J.-L. Ayitou; N. Vallavoju, A. Ugrinov, and J. Sivaguru*, Enantiospecific 6p-photocyclization of atropisomeric α-substituted acrylanilides in the solid-state: Role of crystalline confinement on enantiospecificity.  Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.,2011, 10, 1380–1383. (link)
  12. A. J.-L. Ayitou and J. Sivaguru*, Reactive spin state dependent enantiospecific photocyclization of axially chiral α-substituted acrylanilides. Chem. Comm.,2011, 47, 2568–2570. (link)
  13. A. J.-L. Ayitou, J. L. Jesuraj, N. Baroah, A. Ugrinov, and J. Sivaguru*, Enantiospecific Photochemical Norrish/Yang Type II Reaction of Nonbiaryl Atropchiral a-Oxoamides in Solution–Axial to Point Chirality Transfer, J. Am. Chem. Soc.,2009, 131, 11314–11315. (link)
  14. A. J.-L. Ayitou and J. Sivaguru*, Light-Induced Transfer of Molecular Chirality in Solution: Eantiospecific Photocyclization of Molecularly Chiral Acrylanilides, J. Am. Chem. Soc.,2009, 131, 5036–5037. (link)

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