Expertise
Photophysics of organic molecules in solution phase, biomimetic drug delivery vehicles, colorimetric and fluorometric sensing, energy transfer between probes and metal nanoparticles

Instrumentation
UV-Vis absorption, steady state and time-resolved fluorescence, Confocal fluorescence, DLS, NMR, ESI-MS

Background & Research Interest
Experimental physical chemistry on the interface of biophysical and analytical chemistry. Postdoctoral experience on materials chemistry, coatings and self-healing polymers. Currently, developing sensitive and efficient methods to understand the efficacy of different drug delivery vehicles (e.g., micelles, liposomes, cyclodextrins) that will facilitate encapsulation and transportation of small pro-drug molecules to the targeted affected sites. We design model systems using biomimics and study the excited state dynamics of the probes to understand the effectiveness of drug loading and its interaction with the delivery systems. A parallel focus of research involves sensing of toxic metal ions and inorganic ions (e.g., F-, OAc-, H2PO4-, NO3-) in solution phase.