Our group is dedicated to unraveling the fundamental principles governing molecular behavior in complex environments. Our research is at the intersection of physical chemistry, nanoscience, soft matter, and biophysics, with a strong focus on water state in confined environments and molecular interactions in biological systems. By combining advanced experimental and spectroscopic techniques, we strive to uncover new insights that have implications for energy, nanotechnology, and life sciences.

Water confined within nanoscale spaces is ubiquitous in natural environments, including mineral surfaces, porous materials, and biological membranes. Even within the micrometer-sized cytoplasm, water exists in a highly confined and crowded environment, surrounded by macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes. In these conditions, water is restricted to spaces as small as 1-10 nanometers, where its structural and dynamical properties differ significantly from those in bulk water.

Understanding the behavior of confined water is essential for unraveling bimolecular functions, such as protein activity, molecular recognition, and enzymatic processes. Moreover, studying water under extreme confinement provides insights into the origin of life in harsh environments, where water’s unique properties may have played a fundamental role in early biochemical evolution.

In our research, we use model systems to investigate the crystallization, dynamics and interactions of water in confined spaces. By studying simple systems to biologically relevant environments, we aim to unravel water’s role in key biological processes and its broader implications in extreme and nanoscale environments.

Selected publications

1. From Water Under Confinement to Understanding Life at Subzero Temperatures.
2. Designing cryo-enzymatic reactions in subzero liquid water by lipidic mesophase nanoconfinement.
3. Crystallization and dynamics of water confined in model mesoporous silica particles: Two ice nuclei and two fractions of water.
4. Homogeneous nucleation of ice confined in hollow silica spheres.

Biological processes are governed by intricate molecular interactions occurring in dynamic and regulated environments. A key focus of our research is the phase behavior and transitions of lipidic mesophases, which play a critical role in biological membranes and drug delivery systems.

Lipidic mesophases, such as lamellar, hexagonal, and cubic phases, exhibit remarkable structural adaptability under varying conditions, including changes in temperature, hydration, and molecular compositions. Understanding how molecular dynamics drive these phase transitions provides critical insights into bio-membrane function and the design of lipid-based systems for biomedical applications.

In our research, we combine small-angle X-ray scattering, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, and optic spectroscopic techniques, to understand the dynamics of lipids and their interaction with water during the phase transition.

Selected publications

1. Structure and dynamics of phytantriol-glycerol mesophases: Insights into the reverse micelle to lamellar phase transition
2. Water–lipid interface in lipidic mesophases with excess water.
3. Probing water state during lipidic mesophases phase transitions.