Seminar by Prof. Mahesh Hariharan (IISER Thiruvananthapuram) on "Keeping the Chromophores Crossed for Efficient Photoinduced Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation".

24 Jun 2026
Seminar Room # 350, second floor annex

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaker: Prof. Mahesh Hariharan
IISER Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Title: "Keeping the Chromophores Crossed for Efficient
Photoinduced Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation".

Day and Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Time: 11.00 am.

Venue: Room no. 350, Chemistry Department
Second floor, Annex
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hosted by Prof. Anindya Datta

Talk Title : "Keeping the Chromophores Crossed for Efficient Photoinduced Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation".
Abstract
Photoinduced symmetry-breaking charge separation (SB-CS) is a fundamental process in molecular photophysics that governs energy and charge transport in reaction centers, organic semiconductors, supramolecular assemblies and hybrid materials.1 However, identifying molecular architectures that efficiently promote SB-CS remains a key challenge. Cross-architectures exhibiting minimal excitonic coupling have attracted considerable interest due to their distinctive chromophore arrangements and emergent photophysical properties.2 Herein, we propose a cross-architecture as a promising platform for SB-CS3-5 and employ data-driven models to correlate molecular structure with SB-CS dynamics, providing a framework for the rational design of next-generation optoelectronic and energy-conversion materials