LUMINeSCe
Light-induced Ultrafast dynamics in Metalloporphyrins: investigating Ionic and Neutral Species with Coincidence detection and X-ray probes
Supervisor: Gildas GOLDSZTEJN | Employer: Universté Paris-Saclay | 3i dimension: international 📥 LUMINeSCe
Contact: gildas.goldsztejn@cnrs.frAbstract: This project aims to investigate the ultrafast photophysics of metalloporphyrins and metallophthalocyanines in the gas phase through femtosecond pump (UV/Vis)–probe (XUV/X-ray) spectroscopy on both neutral and ionic species. The goal is to unravel the mechanisms underlying their roles in photosynthesis and their function as photosensitizers. The approach combines the complementary expertise of the ISMO and DESY groups: ISMO recently developed a kHz-repetition laser-desorption setup for neutral molecular beams coupled to a coincidence electron–ion spectrometer, while the DESY group has extensive experience in gas-phase spectroscopy of biomolecular ions by interfacing electrospray-ionisation (ESI) tandem mass-spectrometers to advanced light sources. In particular, the element-specific probing with XUV/X-ray light will enable tracking site-resolved ultrafast dynamics. By bridging neutral and ionic molecular species, the project connects model systems to biologically relevant molecules.
Project Objectives
The LUMINeSCe project represents an opportunity to establish a new international collaboration between ISMO (Université Paris-Saclay, France) and DESY (Hamburg, Germany). Although this partnership is recent, it builds on complementary scientific expertise and shared research interests in ultrafast XUV/X-ray spectroscopy of complex molecular systems. The PhD project will serve as the foundation for this collaboration, bringing together ISMO's experience in table-top femtosecond spectroscopy of neutral molecules and DESY's expertise in gas-phase X-ray spectroscopy of ionic species using ESI tandem mass spectrometers. The fellow will complete in total 12-months research stays at DESY, gaining hands-on training in advanced instrumentation, and participation to beamtimes at international large-scale facilities (PETRA III, European XFEL), as to their heavy data treatment. Regular joint meetings, coordinated beamtime proposals, and co-supervision will help formalize this emerging partnership into a long-term collaboration between the two laboratories. The fellow will thus play a key role in building this new international link, gaining first-hand experience in cross-institutional research while contributing to the development of an enduring Franco–German network in ultrafast molecular spectroscopy.
Host Laboratory: ISMO 3i Host Laboratory: DESY, Hambourg
Specific skills and requirements
Pre-requisite: TO BE UPDATED - REFER TO PDF
Advantageous: TO BE UPDATED - REFER TO PDF
Biographies
Thesis Director Short Bio: Dr. Gildas Goldsztejn is a specialist in the study of inner/core-shell excited states of simple to bio-relevant molecular systems, by means of electron spectroscopy. He is a leading expert on gas-phase studies of neutral biomolecules such as metalloporphyrins or metallophthalocyanines. He has developed a dedicated instrument to gently evaporate them and perform coincidence electrons/ions measurements using ultrafast light sources at ultrahigh repetition rates. Furthermore, he also developed a large number of theoretical tools to disentangle the numerous excitations/relaxations pathways coexisting after X-ray photoabsorption.
3i Co-supervisor Short Bio: Dr. Sadia Bari is a researcher at DESY and a professor at the University of Groningen specializing in spectroscopy and X-ray science. She pioneered the integration of custom-built ESI tandem mass spectrometers with advanced light sources such as synchrotrons and free-electron lasers (FELs). Her work aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms that govern the structure-function relationships of biomolecules. She has extensive experience in action spectroscopy, pump–probe experiments, and data analysis using advanced computational methods. Since 2016, Bari has led an independent research group at DESY and has supervised 8 doctoral students (one current), several undergraduates and mentored 4 postdocs. Bari actively contributes to international collaborations and user projects, advancing innovative analytical methods in photon science.
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