Nicolò Baggi

Infographic highlighting the contributions of twelve women in chemistry history. Full alt-text available at the link in the post.

On #InternationalWomensDay, here's another edition of Women in Chemistry History. This edition features women whose achievements in chemistry include the creation of synthetic emeralds, the impact of diet on intelligence and health, and more: www.compoundchem.com/2026/03/08/i...

#ChemSky 🧪

The Impact of Chirality on Singlet Fission and Triplet Fusion: A Molecular Twist for Photon Management Chirality has recently emerged as a new means to profoundly impact the properties of organic semiconductors for spin-optoelectronic applications. Yet, a clear mechanistic understanding of chiral structure–property relationships remains absent to date, particularly for photon interconversion processes such as singlet exciton fission and triplet fusion. In this perspective, we highlight recent work that investigates chiral structures for these processes. We discuss the various ways in which chirality can impact such conversion processes and suggest ways to leverage it to improve photon management for both energy applications and quantum information science.

Check out our latest in @acs.org ACS Energy Letters:
Damon explores how #chirality may impact singlet fission and triplet fusion in molecular semiconductors as a new twist for efficient photon management, boosting performance of solarcells, displays and more. #OpenAccess pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Redox- and Protonation-Tunable Diboraheptacenes Acenes are attractive molecular platforms with characteristic π-electron delocalization, resulting in exceptionally small HOMO–LUMO gaps, which makes them valuable for use in a variety of organic elec...

Our manuscript on the redox- and protonation-chemistry of diboraheptacenes is published in @jacs.acspublications.org (pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....)! @JinhyoHwang and @chemheechan report a DBH dianion (w/NIR absorption) that’s the longest fully conjugated boron-doped acene! #maingroup

Guest‐Induced Activation of Multicolor Photoluminescence in Naphthalene Bisimide Liquid Crystals Supramolecular host–guest design in naphthalene bisimide liquid crystals activates charge-transfer emission and enables continuous tuning of color (511–685 nm) and lifetime, spanning prompt fluoresce...

Guest-Induced Activation of Multicolor Photoluminescence in Naphthalene Bisimide Liquid Crystals. Early View in Advanced Materials.
advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Bonjour à toutes et à tous,
Nous recrutons un·e enseignant·e-chercheur·euse contractuel·le en chimie des systèmes conjugués au laboratoire MOLTECH Anjou et au département de chimie de @univangers.bsky.social
www.univ-angers.fr/fr/universit...
N’hésitez pas à me contacter!

The Nonadiabatic Nature of the Substituent Effects in Azobenzene Unified nonadiabatic switching: thermal Z→E isomerization of para-substituted azobenzenes proceeds through a single nonadiabatic rotational pathway. The iconic bell-shaped Hammett plot is a σp artifa...

Check out our latest publication in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social where we show that the infamous V shape in the substituent effects in the thermal isomerization of azobenzenes comes from a single nonadiabatic mechanism 🔥 and not a mix of two.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

On 3–4 September 2026 @rsc-photochem.bsky.social will host the RSC Photophysics and Photochemistry Group Early Career Meeting 2026, giving early career researchers in this field the opportunity to present their research.
Abstract submission and registration are open: www.rsc.org/events/detai...

JUNIOR GROUP LEADER IN THE FIELD OF QUANTUM OPTOELECTRONICS at Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Barcelona, SPAIN Jan 8, 2026 | Description: We are seeking a Junior Research Group Leader with an outstanding record in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The successful candidate... | NEW JOB

Junior Group Leader in the field of Quantum #Optoelectronics in Barcelona, Spain

www.researchgate.net/job/1034579_...

C3-Symmetric Photoresponsive Chiral Dopants Based on Tribenzotriquinacene Doping cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) with photoresponsive chiral molecules is an effective strategy for devising responsive soft materials, as it allows for the phototuning of the noncovalent interactions in the CLCs, and hence, their helical pitch and optical properties. Here we describe the use of tribenzotriquinacene-based (TBTQ) hydrazone and azobenzene chiral dopants in the modulation of the helical pitch of the LC host, 5CB. The unique C3-symmetry of the TBTQ scaffold enhances the noncovalent interactions with the host and thus the chiral information transfer, resulting in helical twisting power (β) values as high as 147 μm–1. Notably, the TBTQ hydrazone exhibits an unusual deviation from trends observed so far in previous studies, resulting in larger β values for the Z isomer rather than the E one. Moreover, the overall β values for the hydrazone-based dopants are unexpectedly higher than those of the azobenzene dopants. These results indicate that the host/guest interactions are better when the photoswitchable chiral dopant is more rigid, as is the case with the H-bonded Z state of the hydrazone. The large β values and excellent miscibility of the hydrazone-based dopants in 5CB allowed us to design films that reflect visible structural color. The properties of the azobenzene-based dopants precluded their use in such applications. By codoping 5CB with hydrazone and azobenzene derivatives of opposite chirality, we demonstrated reversible handedness inversion upon photoswitching, providing a versatile soft material platform for reconfigurable photonic materials and colorimetric display technologies.

Latest @jacs.acspublications.org a collab with Mastalerz grp @uniheidelberg.bsky.social showing how C3-symmetric TBTQ core affects chiral induction in LCs. Hydrazone > azobenzene with this core. Mixing these two with opposite chirality allows handedness inversion bit.ly/4qAtvYE #openaccess #chemsky

What a work!!! Congratulations @gracegdhan.bsky.social and all the other authors 👏🏻

Molecular solar thermal energy storage in Dewar pyrimidone beyond 1.6 MJ/kg Storing sunlight in a compact and rechargeable form remains a central challenge for solar energy utilization. Molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage systems, which harness photon energy and rel...

Exciting chemsky work out First Release in @science.org from @gracegdhan.bsky.social and collaborators, scrunching up pyrimidones so tight with UV light that the strain release can boil water!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

‘Almost impossible to destroy’: material captures CO2 and frees it at the flick of a photoswitch New class of porous materials can trap gases and release them on command

Perhaps you've heard of MOFs or COFs? Now there's PAFs – porous aromatic frameworks – and they're much tougher than their cousins. And they're showing promise storing and releasing CO₂ with a flash of light.

Orgànica - Departament de Quimica Inorgànica i Orgànica

#Barcelona folks: if you are free around noon tomorrow (Feb 6), I am giving a talk at @ub.edu at 12pm. Come say hi 🙂 Details here: dqio.ub.edu/organica/ #chemsky

Azobenzene-bridged ionizable amphiphilic Janus glycosides for light-controlled, single-component and organ-modulable pDNA delivery Communications Chemistry, Published online: 05 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s42004-026-01920-zStimuli-responsive supramolecular systems offer innovative solutions for precise nucleic acid delivery, addressing the need for spatiotemporal control. Here, the authors develop azobenzene-bridged ionizable amphiphilic Janus glycosides as light-responsive DNA carriers, demonstrating reversible photoisomerization that modulates transfection outcomes and organ targeting.

Just out: Azobenzene-bridged ionizable amphiphilic Janus glycosides for light-controlled, single-component and organ-modulable pDNA delivery

Women in Photochemistry Symposium 2026 Join us for an afternoon of inspiring talks and networking at the Women in Photochemistry Symposium!

My colleague Helen Fielding is organising the 2026 Women in Photochemistry Symposium at @uclchemistry.bsky.social on Wednesday the 4th of March with talks by Susannah-Bourne-Worster (Durham), Maria Sanz (King's College) and Marsha Lester (UPenn).

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-p...

#chemsky

#photoswitches: How should we determine errors on PSS distributions, and the absorption spectrum of the metastable isomer? We have been discussing this for years and have finally written a manuscript, including a python code to fit your data without human bias. chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10....

Congratulations, Vítor!!!!

Divergent Reactivity of Diketopyrrolopyrroles: Ring-Opening with Amines We report an unprecedented reaction of a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) with primary and secondary amines that results in the ring-opening of the core with loss of its fluorescence. The various characterization techniques used in this study, such as X-ray diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and UV–vis analysis, warrant accurate identification of the structures of the newly synthesized compounds. DFT studies were also performed in order to understand the mechanism associated with this reaction.

Happy to share my latest publication in Organic Letters @pubs.acs.org 🚀Important and valuable insights on DPP reactivity.
#chemsky #ChemPubs

Do you know any researchers that have made significant contributions to digital #chemistry, #AI, #machinelearning and #automation and has published in Chemical Science within the last five years?

Find out how to nominate the for the 2026 Chemical Science Lectureship here: rsc.li/chemsci-lect...

Wavelength-steered directional rotation in an autonomous light-driven molecular motor - Nature Chemistry The rational design of autonomous light-powered molecular motors remains a formidable challenge in nanoscience. Now, a photochemically driven diazene-based rotary motor has been shown to rotate around...

There's a new motor in town! 🏎️ 🔬

Out in @natchem.nature.com , our latest study introduces a light-driven diazene molecular rotary motor able not only to achieve directional motion, but also to invert the rotation by varying the colour of the light supplied.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Open Call: Ikerbasque Fellows (5-year senior postdoc):
• any discipline
• applicants must have their PhD completed between 01/01/2015 and 31/12/2023

calls.ikerbasque.net

Locum Associate or Senior Editor Job Title: Locum Associate or Senior Editor (Chemical Biology / Biological Chemistry), Nature Chemistry Company: Nature Portfolio Contract Type: Full-time, Fixed Term (maternity leave cover) Location(...

We're hiring! We're looking for a Locum Editor to cover our chemical biology/biochem. The role can be located in either our London or Pune offices. Planned start date is June 1st. Closing date for applications is Feb 2nd. #chemjobs #chemsky springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatu...

Come work with us at Nature Chemistry! We're hiring a locum editor to handle our chembio content in London or Pune.

Today on @chemrxiv.org, we disclose a C-to-N replacement that actually works complex natural products - a pipe-dream when we started. The secret is to lean in to the triplet nitrene.

Congrats Dong Il, and thanks to the whole team, including collaborators from Sanofi!

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

Thrilled to report another milestone: 900 nm photoswitching enables NIR-light detection and reversible invisible writing of high-contrast 2D and 3D displays! Check out our newest molecular photoswitch PBFT (peri-benzo[a]fluoranthenethioindigo) at ChemRxiv - doi.org/10.26434/che...

✨ Our first reactions article in @ACSCentralScience with #CyrilGoudet is officially out! 🎉 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Don’t miss the chance to dive into the fantastic work of #AmadeuLlebaria #Xavier Rovira and #VenkateshKrishnan – truly a great read for the winter break! ❄️ 💛 #ProfLife #ChemBio

Synthesis and Excited-State Dynamics in Molecular Nanographene: Herzberg–Teller Vibronic Coupling and Energy Transfer to Porphyrins Nanographenes (NGs) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are molecular-level bridges to bulk-carbon materials. When synthesized with atomic precision via, for example, bottom-up strategies, a direct connection between the structure and properties is demonstrable. This is of key interest, especially considering practical applications. In the current work, we report the synthesis and comprehensive photophysical characterization of a full-benzenoid nanographene (NG-Br) and its covalent conjugate featuring a porphyrin (NG-(Zn)Por). Our synthetic approach relies on a cascade of Suzuki coupling, reduction, and Sandmeyer bromination reactions, starting from halogenated nitrobenzene derivatives. Knowing at which concentration aggregation occurs is important to study either monomers of NG-Br or its aggregates. In organic solvents, the association constant of NG-Br exceeds 1 × 106 M–1. Photophysical and theoretical analyses on the monomer revealed a subtle energy proximity between (S1)/(Lb) and (S2)/(La) that is the basis for strong vibronic coupling via the Herzberg–Teller mechanism, as well as (S1,1) and (S2,0) vibronic mixing. In NG-(Zn)Por, an ultrafast (S1–S1) energy transfer from NG to the porphyrin was observed. Our findings are essential for establishing an unambiguous structure–property relationship for NGs and 9-armchair GNRs, providing a blueprint for their use in optoelectronic devices ranging from single-electron transistors to OLEDs and organic solar cells.

➡️ Increasing the length of molecular nanographenes leads to higher photoluminescence quantum yields!💡

In this @jacs.acspublications.org paper, we show how molecular length tunes the interplay between dark and bright excited states.

🔗 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Many thanks to all coauthors!!

This includes our latest project exploring how being a #firstGen scientist 🧑‍🎓 impacts a #career in #science 🧑‍🔬, recently in @chemicalscience.rsc.org

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

PhD contract available in the @icmabcsic.bsky.social in my group to work on the synthesis and characterization of New Photosensitisers for Panchromatic Photoisomerization. Retweets appreciated. Candidates please contact me directly.

🚀 A new class of ortho-palladated oxazolone complexes that capture and release solar energy via visible-light-triggered [2+2] photocycloaddition 🌞✨ doi.org/10.1039/D5SC...
@gracegdhan.bsky.social @chemicalscience.rsc.org
#crystallography #education