Alumni

Amira Uddin (PhD student 2020-25)

After: Researcher at Google

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

Dr Maria Eugenia Sandoval–Salinas (Postdoc 2023-25)

After: Postdoc with the group of Prof. Graham Worth at UCL

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

Qi Zhao (PhD student 2020-24)

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Porous nanographene formation on γ-alumina Nanoparticles via Transition-Metal-Free Methane Activation. Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 3140-3146.
  2. The carbon chain growth during the onset of CVD graphene formation on γ-Al2O3 is promoted by unsaturated CH2 end. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 23357- 23366 (PREPRINT ChemRxiv 2021)
  3.  Single-Atom Iridium on Hematite Photoanodes for Solar Water Splitting: Catalyst or Spectator? J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 3, 1686–1695
  4. The role of copper in enhancing the performance of heteronuclear diatomic catalysts for the electrochemical CO2 conversion to C1 chemicals. J. Energy Chem. 2023, 85, 490-500
  5. Silicon radical-induced CH4 dissociation for uniform graphene coating on silica surface. Small, 2023, 2306325
  6. Engineering Binuclear Copper Catalysts for Selective CO2 Reduction to C2 Products. J. Energy Chem. 2024, 93, 166-173
  7. Solar-Driven Cellulose Photorefining into Arabinose over Oxygen-Doped Carbon Nitride. ACS Catal. 2024, 14, 3376–3386
  8. Thermodynamically Favorable Route to the Synthesis of Nanoporous Graphene Templated on CaO via Chemical Vapor Deposition. Green Chem., 2024, 26, 6051-6062
  9. Synthesis of graphene mesosponge using CaO nanoparticles formed from CaCO3. Catalysis Today 2024 437,  114763
  10. Computational screening of metalloporphyrin catalysts for the activation of carbon dioxide. Molecular Catalysis 2024, 565, 114386
  11. Selective photocatalytic glucaric acid production from TEMPO-mediated glucose oxidation on alkalized carbon nitride. Appl. Catal., B, 2025, 360, 124526

Amir Sidat (PhD student 2019-24)

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Fromage: A Library for the Study of Molecular Crystal Excited States at the Aggregate Scale. J. Comp. Chem., 2020, 41, 1045.
  2.  Understanding the solid state luminescence and piezochromic properties in polymorphs of an anthracene derivative. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022,24, 2832-2842.
  3. Competition between ultralong organic phosphorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence in dichloro derivatives of 9-benzoylcarbazole. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2022, 24, 29437 (PREPRINT ChemRxiv 2022)
  4. Performance of point charge embedding schemes for excited states in molecular organic crystals. J. Chem. Phys. 2023, 159, 244108

Dr Federico Hernández (Postdoc , 2020-24)

After: PostDoc at Bristol University with the group of Dr Basile Curchod

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Indolocarbazole as a Platform for Concatenated Crystalline Rotors. Cryst. Growth Des. 2023, 23, 9, 6785–6794
  2. Multiconfigurational calculations and photodynamics describe norbornadiene photochemistry. J. Org. Chem. 2023, 88, 9, 5311–5320 
  3. Modeling Excited States of Molecular Organic Aggregates for Optoelectronics. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 2023, 74, 547–771
  4. Dual-State Emission in Molecular Rotors with Reorientable Benzotriazole Acceptors. Matter 2023, 6, 1140-1159
  5. Photochemical Fingerprinting Is a Sensitive Probe for the Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; toward Robust Point-of-Care Detection. Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 703-713
  6. Competition between ultralong organic phosphorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence in dichloro derivatives of 9-benzoylcarbazole. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2022, 24, 29437
  7. Asymmetric Dual-State Emitters Featuring Thiazole Acceptors. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2022, e202200372.
  8. Triplet Generation Dynamics in Si and Ge Bridged Conjugated Co-Polymers. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2022, 126, 2, 1036–1045.
  9. Excited state mechanisms in crystalline carbazole: the role of aggregation and isomeric defects. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 11882. 

Dr Ljiljana Stojanović (Postdoc , 2018-21)

After: PostDoc at UCL with the group of Prof Jochen Blumberger. Currently: research scientist at the Hartree Centre (STFC).

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. New Insights into the State Trapping of UV-Excited Thymine. Molecules 2016, 21, 1603 (Special Issue Experimental and Computational Photochemistry of Bioorganic Molecules).
  2. New Insights into the State Trapping of UV-Excited Thymine. Molecules 2016, 21, 1603 (Special Issue Experimental and Computational Photochemistry of Bioorganic Molecules).
  3.  Understanding aggregation induced emission in a propeller-shaped blue emitter. ChemPhotoChem, 2019, 3, 907 (Special Issue: Computational Photochemistry).
  4. Aggregation Induced Emission in the Tetraphenylthiophene Crystal: The Role of Triplet States. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2020. 124, 32, 17752–17761. (This article has been selected as ACS editor’s choice) 
  5. Organic room-temperature phosphorescence from halogen-bonded organic frameworks: hidden electronic effects in rigidified chromophores. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 767-773.
  6. The role of conical intersections on the efficiency of fluorescent organic molecular crystals. J. Phys. Chem. A. 2021, 125, 1012.
  7. Emission Quenching in Tetraphenylfuran Crystal: Why This Propeller-Shaped Molecule Does Not Emit in the Condensed Phase. Accepted in Molecules 2021, Special issue in Photophysics and Photochemistry in Complex Molecular Systems.

Dr Alex Aziz (Lecturer, 2020-21)

After: Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Engineering the electronic and optical properties of 2D porphyrin paddlewheel metal-organic frameworks. JPhys Energy.
  2.  Understanding the solid state luminescence and piezochromic properties in polymorphs of an anthracene derivative. Accepted in Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021

Dr Le Fang (PhD student, 2016-20)

After: PostDoc in Hangzhou (China). Currently

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Biotin-tagged fluorescent sensor to visualize ‘mobile’ Zn2+ in cancer cells. Chem. Comm., 2018, 54, 9619
  2. An alternative modular ‘click-SNAr-click’ approach to develop subcellular localised fluorescent probes to image mobile Zn2+. Org. Biomol. Chem., 2019,17, 10013.
  3. Endoplasmic reticulum targeting fluorescent probes to image mobile Zn2+. Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 10881.
  4. Protect to detect: A Golgi apparatus targeted probe to image mobile zinc through the use of a lipophilic cell-labile protecting group strategy. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2021, 338, 129850

Dr Miguel Rivera (PhD student, 2016-20)

After: PostDoc at Imperial College in the Group of Prof Aron Walsh. Currently: Lecturer (Teaching) in Computational Chemistry at UCL.

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. How Inter- and Intramolecular Processes Dictate Aggregation Induced Emission in Crystals Undergoing Excited State Proton Transfer. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2017, 8, 6148.
  2. ONIOM(QM:QM’) Electrostatic Embedding Schemes for Photochemistry in Molecular Crystals. J. Chem. Theory Comp. 2019, 15, 2504.
  3. Fromage: A Library for the Study of Molecular Crystal Excited States at the Aggregate Scale. J. Comp. Chem., 2020, 41, 1045. 
  4. Molecular and Crystalline Requirements for Solid State Fluorescence Exploiting Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer. J. Mat. Chem. C. 2020, 8, 2558-2568
  5. The role of conical intersections on the efficiency of fluorescent organic molecular crystals. J. Phys. Chem. A. 2021. 125, 4, 1012–1024.
  6. Engineering the electronic and optical properties of 2D porphyrin paddlewheel metal-organic frameworks. JPhys Energy.

Dr Michael Dommett (PhD student, 2015-19)

After: Data Scientist at Heetch

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Excited State Proton Transfer in 2’-Hydroxychalcone derivatives. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2017, 19, 2409-2416. 
  2. How Inter- and Intramolecular Processes Dictate Aggregation Induced Emission in Crystals Undergoing Excited State Proton Transfer. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2017, 8, 6148.
  3. Water oxidation catalysed by quantum-sized BiVO4. J. Mat. Chem. A. 2018, 6, 24965-24970. 
  4. ONIOM(QM:QM’) Electrostatic Embedding Schemes for Photochemistry in Molecular Crystals. J. Chem. Theory Comp. 2019, 15, 2504.
  5. Fromage: A Library for the Study of Molecular Crystal Excited States at the Aggregate Scale.  J. Comp. Chem., 2020, 41, 1045. 
  6. Molecular and Crystalline Requirements for Solid State Fluorescence Exploiting Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer. J. Mat. Chem. C. 2020, 8, 2558.
  7.  Rotaxane Co(II) Complexes as Field-Induced Single-Ion Magnets. Accepted in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021
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Warda Rahim (BSc student 2017-18)

After: PhD with Prof David O. Scanlon at UCL. 

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Fromage: A Library for the Study of Molecular Crystal Excited States at the Aggregate Scale.  J. Comp. Chem., 2020, 41, 1045.
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Scott Midgley (MSc student 2016-17)

After: PhD with Dr Ricardo Grau-Crespo at the University of Reading. 

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Ingrid H. Oevreeide (MSci student 2015-16)

After: PhD in biophysics at the NTNU in Norway. 

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Water oxidation catalysed by quantum-sized BiVO4. J. Mat. Chem. A. 2018, 6, 24965-24970. 
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Joel Mieres (Postdoc 2016)

After: postdoctoral researcher in the Sanchez-Garcia group (University of Essen).

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Switching the spin state of pentafluorophenylnitrene: Isolation of a singlet arylnitrene complex. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 17271-17277
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Dr. Lourdes del Olmo (Postdoc 2016)

After: Teaching, Madrid (Spain)

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Water oxidation catalysed by quantum-sized BiVO4. J. Mat. Chem. A. 2018, 6, 24965-24970. 

VISITORS

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Dr. Nawee Kungwan (Lecturer Chiang Mai University, 2016)

Publications with the Crespo-Otero Group:

  1. Double Excited-State Proton Transfer Is Not Possible in 7-Azaindole Dimer. Chem. Sci., 2015, 6, 5762.
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Dr. Pandian Sokkar (Postdoc University of Essen, 2015)

After: Chettinad Academy of Research and Education

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Marti Gimferrer( Erasmus+ Fellowship University of Girona, 2015)

After: PhD at the University of Girona (Spain),       

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   Niklas Tötsch (MSc Student Unversity of Bochum, 2015)

After: PhD in the Sanchez-Garcia group at Max Planck Institute for Coal Research.

@ UCL-Chemistry