CANCELLED: Physics Colloquium – Chavdar Slavov

This colloquium has been cancelled.

Light-driven Molecular Transformations Captured by Ultrafast Spectroscopy

Dr. Chavdar Slavov, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
University of South Florida

Femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy reveals the excited-state pathways and chromophore dynamics that transform light absorption into photochemical and biological function. Using phytochromes, I will illustrate how the protein environment controls chromophore isomerization, which in turn initiates structural changes that regulate biological signaling. Examples of synthetic photoswitches will further demonstrate how molecular motions and interactions direct competing excited-state pathways toward productive or nonproductive photochemistry. Finally, I will introduce photopharmacology and show how artificial photoswitches can reversibly control biologically active molecules with light. Together, these studies demonstrate how understanding excited-state dynamics bridges photochemistry and biophysics and informs the design of functional photoresponsive systems.