Photochemical Sciences

Our Research

Research in the Center for Photochemical Sciences focuses on a wide range of investigations into the role of light in chemical and physical processes.  This broad emphasis enables collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Some of the highlights of our research focus include:
 

• Molecular Photochemistry and Photophysics of Novel Chromophores
• Analytical Chemistry
• Optical Sensor Research and Supramolecular Analytical Chemistry
• Single-Molecule Spectroscopy and Imaging
• Hybrid Metal-Organic Photonic Materials
• Organic Semiconductors, Electroluminescence and Sensory Materials
• Solar Energy Capture, Conversion and Catalysis
• Biophotonics
• Computational Mechanistic Photochemistry
• Photopolymers and Photopolymerization

Career

The focus on applied problems at the confluence of physical, chemical and biological systems opens the doors to discoveries key to many new technologies. Driving many of these new technologies are discoveries in photochemical sciences.  

The skills and knowledge developed at BGSU on the doctoral program of the Center for Photochemical Sciences are in high demand, leading to exciting industrial opportunities and well-rewarded research opportunities.

Alumni of the Ph.D. Photochemical Sciences program are conducting research, teaching and leading industrial activities, and often a mix of all three, at multi-national companies such as Intel, Conamix, and Bayer, local companies such as Spectra Photopolymer and Ascribe Bio, government laboratories such as the Army Office of Research, and academic institutions like Stockton University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Many go on to postdoctoral positions at major U.S. universities including Harvard University.

GSPDA of Photosciences

Graduate Students and Post Doctorates’ Association of the Center for Photochemical Sciences (GSPDA of Photosciences) at Bowling Green State University, is a non-political association to create and inspire pure and applied research related to biology, chemistry, physics, photochemistry and photophysics among the diverse student community of BGSU.

We seek to identify various issues related to the interests of graduate students and the Center’s post-docs and to provide for its members: opportunities for intellectual expression, leadership, fellows and cooperation. Through a variety of activities, we seek to aid in developing a well-informed, articulate, participative student community and promote an appreciation and interest for photosciences among students and post-docs of the Center.
 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the doctoral degree, students in Photochemical Science are expected to be able to:

• Apply quantum mechanical methods to predict observable properties for molecular motions including translation, rotation and vibration.
• Apply quantum mechanical methods to determine molecular electronic wave functions and to characterize the molecular bonding.
• Analyze organic reaction mechanisms and the mechanistic diagrams and methods for their elucidation. 
• Demonstrate an understanding of selected topics of physical organic chemistry including stereochemistry principles, and the application of reactive intermediates in chemistry. 
• Analyze a wide variety of spectral data to deduce the structure of an unknown molecule. 
• Analyze the generation and nature of excited states, including evolution of excited states, and radiative and nonradiative processes and energy transfer.
• Demonstrate an active knowledge of experimental techniques and modern instrumentation for characterization of excited states is part of the topics covered. 
• Demonstrate an active knowledge of photochemical reactions, various reaction types including absorption and emission of light, intersystem crossing, energy transfer, electron transfer and symmetry rules that govern these processes, rules for orbital symmetry governed reactions.  
• Analyze different types of photoreactions including inorganic photo processes, organic and organometallic photochemistry, photobiochemistry, polymer photochemistry and photoelectrochemistry applications.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of selected "hot topics" under a rapid advance in recent years focusing on photochemistry, photophysics, nanoscience and scanning probe microscopy. 
• Evaluate previous scientific conclusions as they apply to a new area of investigation. 
• Integrate the results of the PhD dissertation and effectively communicate original scientific findings.