CLL (Coimbra, Portugal)

CLL aims to promote and support the use of lasers in the study of the interactions between radiation and matter at the molecular level. Specialized on photochemical, photophysical and spectroscopic studies, from the infrared through the ultraviolet, covering timescales from femtoseconds at room temperatures to ultra slow processes at cryogenic temperatures.
Research highlights

CLL
Chemistry Department, University of Coimbra
3000-535 Coimbra, Portugal

CLL

http://www.uc.pt/en/uid/laserlab

Contact:
Luís Arnaut

CLL focuses on areas such as photodynamic therapy, organic polymeric and inorganic photovoltaics, optical sensors, light-emitting devices, matrix isolation spectroscopy and photochemistry, conformation dependent reactivity, hot vibrational chemistry, properties of transient species, photocatalysis, DNA delivery and skin permeation, and photochemistry to art conservation.

Industrial Collaboration

Ongoing project with LaserLeap Tech, SA , "FOTOVID Viral photo-inactivation in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic”, (Sep 2020 – Jun 2021).

Recent Projects performed by external users

Access Visits Laserlab-Europe IV

  •  Effect of aggregation on the photophysical parameters of gold(I) supramolecular aggregates
    • Elisabet Aguiló, Laura Rodriguez Raurell, Artur Moro
    • University of Barcelona (Spain)
    • Completed: Jan 21, 2017
  • Laser Lab application Influence of new medicaments to structure-specific intristic fluorescence of amyloids
    • Ondrej Soukup, Danijela Rostohar, Jana Janockova
    • Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove (CZ)
    • Completed: Apr 22, 2017
  • Photochemical and photophysical investigation on indigo's derivatives
    • Alessandro Porciello
    • Università degli studi di Perugia (IT)
    • Completed:  Jul 30, 2017
  • Photophysical studies of (bis)-porphyrin peptide compounds
    • Rita Cimino
    • University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
    • Completed: Apr 25, 2018
  • Nonlinear optical measurements of sample in liquid and solid state
    • Danilo DiniFemtosecond transient absorption spectrometer
    • University of Rome LA SAPIENZA (IT)
    • Completed: Jan 19, 2019
  • Exploring photophysical pathways of Au(I) and Pt(II) organometallic aggregates
    • Laura Rodríguez, Andrea Pinto, Ariadna Lázaro
    • University of Barcelona (Spain)
    • Completed: Mar 1, 2019
  • Is Conformational Switching Through Vibrational Overtone Pumping Selective?
    • Benjamin Normann Frandsen
    • Universtity of Copenhagen (Denmark)
    • Completed: Mar 17, 2019
  • Mid-/Near-IR and UV Narrowband Tunable Laser - Induced Rotational Isomerism and Photochemistry in Substituted Five-membered Ring Molecules
    • ARCHNA SHARMA
    • Model Institute of Engg. and Technology (India)
    • Completed: Jul 7, 2019

Laserlab-Europe V

  • Development of a label-free, high-throughput Alzheimer's drug screening assay and investigation into the role of Copper and Zinc ions on the origin of amyloid autofluorescence and acceleration of amyloid aggregation.
    • Tommy LoanUniversity of Edinburgh (UK)
    • Ongoing

Projects performed by external users >>

Further application highlights

Lasers and Cancer Lasers and Water Lasers for Cultural Heritage

Expertise

CLL is:Fluorescence Upconversion and 2D-IR spectrometers

  1. a leader in time-resolved photoacoustics
  2. a leader in matrix isolation spectroscopy, photochemistry and solid-state hot vibrational chemistry
  3. a reference laboratory for time-resolved single photon counting
  4. equipped for state-of-the-art femtosecond transient absorption measurements with NIR/VIS/NIR detection
  5. a unique facility integrating fs/ps/ns measurements of transients in solutions, films, supercritical fluids, cultured cells flow cytometry, and low temperature matrices. CLL recently installed photoacoustic tomography in an associated animal facility, a Two-Dimensional Infrared spectrometer (2D-IR) and a broadband fluorescence upconversion spectrometer.


Equipment offered to external users
  • PhotoacousticsPhD students setting up a TCSPC measurement
    • Calorimetry flow cells
    • Transducers and hydrophone for photoacoustic detection.
    • Pulsed excitation sources
  • Lasers
    • Nd-Yag lasers with harmonic generators
    • Nitrogen laser
    • Dye laser
    • Diode lasers at 633 nm, 649 nm, 748 nm (10-40 mW), 748 nm (100 mW).
    • Ar+continuous Laser
    • Two fs-laser amplifiers with broadband optical parametric amplifiers (OPA)
  • Spectrometers
    • Broadband pump-probe femtosecond transient absorption spectrometer
    • Femtosecond fluorescence upconversion spectrometer
    • Two-Dimensional Infrared, 2D-IR, spectrometer
    • Raman spectrometer (Nicolet DXR SmartRaman), with commutable excitation lasers in the visible and IR range.
    • High-resolution Raman mapping/imaging system, covering all spectral range from near-IR to UV, and with submicron spatial resolution.
    • UV/visible spectrometer (ScanSci) interfaced with the cryostats.
    • Ramon mapping: confocal microspectrometer
    • Fluorescence spectrophotometers and fluorimeters, phosphorimeters etc.
    • UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectrophotometers
  • Nanosecond and picosecond time correlated single-photon counting systems
  • Cryostats capable of providing temperatures down to 4 K.
  • Oven for higher-temperature work
  • Infrared mapping/imaging Nicolet system
  • Monochromator for irradiation experiments at low temperature and different broadband sources (Xe/(Hg), Xe, D).
  • Supercritical fluid spectroscopy
  • Fluorescence microscope