IMAKS Lab

Irene Dzaye passed her PhD Final Oral Exam. The title of her Thesis was Photophysical Investigation of Chromium(III) and Related Polypyridyl Chromophores for Electron and Energy Transfer Applications. Congratulations, Irene! Well done! Congratulations to Irene’s advisor Professor Phil Castellano – this was his successful Ph.D. student Number 40!

On June 4 Andre defended his Ph.D. Dissertation titled Photoinduced Electron Spin Polarization of Stable Spin Centers using Ligand-to-Ligand Charge Transfer Chromophores. The work has been done under the direction of Prof. David Shultz but Andre also worked tirelessly in a close contact with IMAKS members developing a time resolved EPR setup.

Jonathan Wheeler impressed the audience with his results and presentation and passed his PhD Final Oral Exam with flying colors on May 27, 2026 in TOX 2104. The title of his Dissertation is Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Cr(III) Diimines through Ligand Design. Well done, Jon!

Over the course of her Ph.D., Sarah has worked extensively on projects focusing on the elucidation and manipulation of the photophysical properties of bi-platinum complexes showing unique coherent features on the time scales of single femtoseconds. Sara has also contributed to numerous collaborative research projects both nationwide and internationally.

On Friday, March 20, Sarah Kromer defended her PhD Dissertation titled Tuning Metal Interactions Through Ligand Modification in Platinum(II) Dimers. Sarah is one of the very few ultrafast laser experts in Phil Castellano group, and she contributed immensely to multiple cutting edge collaborations with leading research centers, both nationwide and internationally. Congratulations, Sarah! We hope to see you around for a while.

The Castellano Group extends its utmost congratulations to Adrienne Faulkner on successfully passing her preliminary defense. Adrienne presented her computational work on heteroleptic Cu(I) species, investigating how different ligand motifs and electronic structures influence the excited-state lifetimes of copper complexes. Her findings contribute to a deeper understanding of structure–property relationships in Cu(I) photosensitizers and helps inform the rational design of more efficient, earth-abundant photochemical systems.

In addition to academic achievements, Adrienne’s unwavering support and generosity toward others have made her an invaluable part of the group. The Castellano team is very proud of Adrienne’s accomplishments and looks forward to the next stage of her graduate career.

We are excited to announce that Azka Arshad has been awarded second place in NC State’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, earning a $750 prize. The 3MT challenges graduate students to communicate their research clearly and compellingly in just three minutes using a single static slide.

Azka’s presentation highlighted her collaborative work between the Castellano and Abolhasani research groups to develop Roblonski, a microfluidic, material-efficient automated platform that accelerates foundational photochemical measurements. Traditional assays such as Beer–Lambert analyses, Stern–Volmer quenching, and photoluminescence quantum yield determination typically require large sample volumes, significant manual labor, and lengthy acquisition times. Roblonski miniaturizes, automates, and streamlines these processes, dramatically reducing the time, cost, and material consumption required to generate high-quality photophysical data.

Beyond solving longstanding bottlenecks in photochemistry labs, this work forms a cornerstone of the group’s involvement in the NSF-funded Center for Accelerated Photocatalysis (CAPs). By enabling high-throughput measurements that feed directly into AI-driven analysis and self-driving laboratory frameworks, Roblonski helps pave the way toward faster, greener, and more accessible discovery in photocatalysis and photochemical reaction development.

This achievement reflects Azka’s creativity, initiative, and commitment to advancing both scientific innovation and research accessibility. We congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.

On Monday, August 11 Emily gave his presentation titled UV and Visible Light Photoactivation of Parahydrogen Induced Hyperpolarization and Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange. Her PhD work was co-directed by Profs. Phil Castellano and Thomas Theis. Very few people in the audience fully understood all details of Emily’s work, but we were super impressed. Congratulations, Emily!

Check out “Characterizing Ultrafast Intersystem Crossing Pathways in Molecular Pt Dimers Using Time-Resolved Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering” a recent publication in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters featuring work from Castellano group member Sarah Kromer contributing to collaboration with the Argonne National Lab.

Read more here:
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c01245

Dr. Alexandra Barth, a postdoctoral research scholar in the Castellano research group, has been selected as one of just 35 participants worldwide for the prestigious 2025 CAS Future Leaders Program. The program recognizes early-career scientists and supports their development as emerging leaders in the chemical sciences through leadership training, professional development, and global networking opportunities.

This honor highlights Dr. Barth’s deep commitment to mentorship and leadership within the scientific community. In the Castellano Lab, she is known not only for her scientific talent but also for her unwavering willingness to assist others—regularly contributing her knowledge, time, and support to help her lab mates thrive. She creates a lasting impact through her dedication to fostering a collaborative and intellectually vibrant research environment. Dr. Barth’s recognition as a CAS Future Leader not only celebrates her scientific accomplishments but also honors the meaningful ways she uplifts and inspires the next generation of researchers.