Jean-Luc Ayitou
Associate Professor
Chemistry
Contact
Address:
845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607
Office Phone:
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About
Research in the Ayitou Lab at UIC focuses on bridging knowledge gaps in photo-energy materials, photon-energy conversion, phototherapeutics, and spin materials. In our investigations, we elucidate the structure-photophysics relationship of novel organic photoactive materials and hybrid nanomaterials, using advanced spectroscopy tools to probe exciton dynamics and modulation
Research Interests 1–3: Our lab designs and synthesizes heavy-atom-free organic chromophores and luminescent spin materials for non-linear photophysical processes, including energy upconversion, spin-photonic processes, photocatalysis, and photo-biochemical processes (in micro-organisms). Current efforts include novel organic triplet and doublet chromophores, as well as organic polymeric and supramolecular materials for solar energy conversion, multi-exciton generation, photo-therapeutics, environmental sustainability, and public health. Other significant efforts include photocatalysis and quantum materials.
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Research Interest 4 & Disclosure/Patent: Our lab develops sustainable, light‑active antimicrobial platforms that can replace conventional cationic ammonium compounds (QACs) in key sectors such as healthcare, personal‑care products, food‑processing surfaces, agricultural sprays, and water treatment.
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Research Interest 5 & Disclosure/Patent: A subset of our research focuses on photoactive agonist/antagonist cholinergic and nicotinic compounds for phototherapy and on-demand neurotransmitter release.
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Outreach and Science-Community Advocate
Spectroscopy Bootcamp for Grade Students (SPEK12): SPEK12 Spectroscopy Bootcamp is a week-long outreach program that stimulates the curiosity of middle and high school students. The camp is free to participate in. Students can use state-of-the-art spectroscopy instruments to probe various light-induced processes encountered in many areas/fields (healthcare, space science, environment, forensics, law enforcement, etc.). This camp runs every summer on-site or online!
Schools/Students interested in this program must contact Dr. Ayitou @ UIC (for more information).
NOBCChE Chapter at UIC: Dr. Ayitou is the faculty advisor for the UIC Chapter of NOBCChE. This student organization aims to provide resources to students of color majoring in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields. This organization will host several campus and community events to promote chemical sciences and encourage underrepresented students to embrace STEM disciplines/research.
Anyone seeking to get involved can send an inquiry to Dr. Ayitou @ UIC
Selected Publications
- Sarita Rawool, Neal T. Ramseier, Samjhana Maharjan, Steve Seung-Young Lee, Krishna Prasad, Parakh Patel, Jacob Tamas, Joshua A. Bruno, Ksenija D. Glusac, Preston Snee, Ying S. Hu*, and A. Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Triplet Exciton Delocalization in Organic-Quantum Dots Hybrids Photo-Systems: A Pathway to Improved Phototherapy and Theragnostics, Preprint (Version 1, 06/17/2025), avaiable at Research Square, DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6839005/v1.
- J. M. O’Shea, A. M. Jamhawi, Y. Ju Yun, F. Peccati, G. Jiménez-Osés*, A. J.-L. Ayitou*, Doublet Spin State Mediated Photoluminescence Upconversion in Organic Radical Donor-Triplet Acceptor Dyads, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147 (1), 1017–1027.
- S. Maharjan, R. D. Kishore, B. Albano, P. A. Ondiek, J. M. O’Shea, A. G. Cosme-Hernandez, D. Wink, B. C. Pemberton, S. Lopez*, and A. J.-L. Ayitou,* Recyclable All-in-one Organo-Photo-Auxiliaries Enabling Metal-free sp3C–sp3C Coupling Reactions with Diverse Functionalities, Adv. Synt. Cat., 2025, 366, 1–7.
- Young Ju Yun,Gary P. Wiederrecht, David J. Gosztola, Benjamin T. Diroll, and Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Triplet Photodynamic and Luminescence Upconversion in Donor-Acceptor Dyads with Slip-stacked vs. Co-facial Arrangement, J. Mat. Chem. C 2022, 10, 7093, DOI: 10.1039/D1TC05122A
- Young Ju Yun,Manoj K. Manna, Nareshbabu Kamatham, Barry Pemberton, Gary P. Wiederrecht, David J. Gosztola, Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés, and Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Synthesis, and Photophysics of Triplet Donor-Acceptor Dyads: ortho– vs. para–Phenyl Positional Effect on Intramolecular Triplet Energy Flow, J. Photochem. Photobio. A 2022, 10, 100112, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpap.2022.100112
- Samjhana Maharjan, Young Ju Yun, Veronica A. Okello, Gary P. Wiederrecht, David J. Gosztola, and Jean-Luc Ayitou*, Photometric Sensing of Heavy Metal Pollutants using a Naphthoquino-bis-thioamide Dye: Photophysics of the Metal Organic Complexes, J. Photochem. Photobio. A 2022, 424, 113648, DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2021.113648
Education
• B.S., North Dakota State University (advisor: Sivaguru Jayaraman), 2008
• Ph.D., North Dakota State University (advisor: Sivaguru Jayaraman), 2013
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles (advisors: Miguel Garcia-Garibay), 20013-2016.