Molecular machines
Supramolecular coordination assemblies
Dynamic molecular cages
Bioactive Molecules for medical imagery and dynamic phototherapy
Photo- and electro- actives assemblies for the conversion of light energy to chemical energy

Description of the research group

Our research group has a strong background in the synthesis of multi-component molecular and supramolecular systems. The choice of the components leads to electronic and photophysical properties for these architectures in order to make them suitable for:

Triggering a controlled motion of one of their components in order to create molecular machines;
Separating charges in long distances;
Applications in innovative medical therapies.

Our group is happy to welcome students interested in being involved in projects related to molecular and supramolecular synthesis using organic and organometallic chemistry.

Our group possesses all necessary equipment to perform organic chemistry, coordination chemistry and for the purification of the synthesized molecular systems.

Selection of key publications

F. Bolze, S. Jenni, A. Sour, V.Heitz
Molecular photosensitisers for two-photon photodynamic therapy
Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 12857-12877 (Feature article)

L. Schoepff, L. Kocher, S. Durot, V. Heitz
Chemically-induced breathing of flexible porphyrinic covalent cages
J. Org. Chem., 2017, 82, 5845–5851

J. Schmitt, V. Heitz, A. Sour, F. Bolze, P. Kessler, L. Flamigni, B. Ventura, C. Bonnet, E. Tóth
A theranostic agent combining a two-photon–absorbing photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and a gadolinium(III) complex for MRI detection
Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 2775-2786

L. Kocher, S. Durot, V. Heitz
Control of the cavity size of flexible covalent cages by silver coordination to the peripheral binding sites
Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 13181-13184

J. Schmitt, V. Heitz, S. Sour, F. Bolze, H. Ftouni, J.-F. Nicoud, L. Flamigni, B. Ventura
Diketopyrrolopyrrole-porphyrin conjugates with high two-photon absorption and singlet oxygen generation for two-photon photodynamic therapy
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 169-173

Photo gallery

A small overview of our research group