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Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences

NWO take-off grant boosts commercial development of versatile method for optical spectroscopy

10 January 2025

Dr Giulia Giuibertoni of the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences has been awarded € 40,000 ‘Take-off’ funding from the Dutch Research Council NWO. Together with Prof. Sander Woutersen, she will use the funding to enhance the commercial feasibility of their novel method of size-sensitive optical spectroscopy that was developed in the Molecular Photonics group. This year, they will start the spinoff company InspecT to bring their method to market.
By creating a step-function concentration profile in a specially designed liquid-sample cell (picture) and measuring the time-dependent absorption spectrum, the novel method obtains the diffusion coefficients and optical spectra of the species present in a solution. Using the Stokes-Einstein relation, which links diffusion coefficients to sizes, size and chemical information can be extracted simultaneously. Image: InspectT.

The novel technology allows for the simultaneous characterization of both size and chemical structure in solution, requiring only a standard optical spectrometer. Giubertoni and Woutersen are developing dedicated liquid-sample cells as simple add-ons that can easily be integrated into standard spectrometers. These can thus be transformed into size-sensitive tools, capable of simultaneously determining the chemical structure and the size of molecules (and particles) within a competitive experimental timeframe.

With InspectT, the researchers aim to cater to the growing demand for innovative applications capable of determining size as well as chemical composition. With the take-off funding, they will assess competitive technologies, highlight the technological advantages of their method, establish the best market fit across academia and industry, and identify additional market opportunities. They also want to refine their current demonstrator of the technology, paving the way for engagement with the first customers.

See also