Subject Area
Chemistry
Abstract
The ability to manipulate chemical systems has been prized through history as the bridge between the macroscopic and microscopic worlds. As an example, the camera obscura has arguably existed since the earliest days of humanity; however, it was the discovery of early silver halide chemistry that lead to the ability to fix these images into the earliest photographs. In modern photolithography employed in electronics manufacturing, the primary resolution limits arise not from the chemistry of the molecules involved, but from the limits of the systems used to project light. Thus, as much as photochemistry advances, optical imaging and projection techniques must be developed in concert to take full advantage of the novel chemical transformations and processes developed in the wet lab.
In this dissertation, several applications are presented where chemical systems were developed in tandem with optical systems to achieve unique results otherwise unachievable. First, a unique DLP Fluorescence microscope will be shown, capable of both imaging fluorescent samples and projecting patterned light at high resolutions. Said technique, when paired with aryldiazoacetate photochemistry, is capable of painting dyes onto a wide variety of samples, with particularly exciting potential applications in medicine. Second, this technology was extended to allow for the imaging and photoactivation of individual molecules, with an eventual goal of triggering reactions on single molecules. Third, several novel photoswitchable systems were implemented capable of producing vibrant, multicolored artwork in liquid crystal networks, three dimensional images in polymeric cubes, and even real-time animations. Finally, a new luminescent molecule was synthesized and employed in concert with a newly constructed chemiluminescence microscope to image individual, wild-type cells via chemiluminescence, allowing for luminescence imaging of a wide range of samples, potentially including clinical samples.
Degree Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Chemistry
Advisor
Alexander Lippert
Number of Pages
165
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Plank, Joshua, "Complementary Design of Optical and Photochemical Systems" (2025). Chemistry Theses and Dissertations. 54.
https://scholar.smu.edu/hum_sci_chemistry_etds/54
Included in
Organic Chemistry Commons, Other Chemistry Commons, Physical Chemistry Commons, Polymer Chemistry Commons
