Summary

On December 9, 2022, Magin Ferrer Benedict, a second-year PhD student in the Photonic and Reactive Molecular Science Laboratory, Division of Materials Science, was presented with the Audience Award at the "YUGEN, Hidden beauty of science" photo contest, held at the French Embassy in Japan, by Mr. Philippe Setton, the French Ambassador to Japan. This event is established based on the Japanese traditional concept of beauty, or yugen, in which hidden and unexpected beauty in mother nature is respected. This year the top three photos were awarded and Magin's work was selected for the Audience Award after public voting by more than 6000-attendees.

Presentation title

Vision of the Future: Seeing the Invisible

Authors

Magin Benedict Ferrer

Research detail

The final aim of our project is to create materials, whose fluorescence can be turned on and off by an external trigger, and thus act as a highly sensitive sensor. For this target, fluorophores need to be encapsulated in small vesicles along with a photochromic molecule - a "switch" that can quench and restore fluorescence by reversibly changing between a colored and colorless form. The image represents a suspension of microcapsules of a fluorescent solution, illuminated under blue light and dotted with air bubbles. Fluorophores are at the origin of the fluorescence: under irradiation, they can re-emit light at a different color (orange in this case). Magin Benedict Ferrer is a 2nd year double-degree PhD student of the Paris-Saclay University at the Supramolecular and Macromolecular Photophysics and Photochemistry (PPSM) laboratory (ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS), and of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) at the Photonic and Reactive Molecular Science Laboratory. He is working on using photoreactive compounds for sensitive detection of radiation.

Comment

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