B2948 - LA LUCE IN FARMACIA

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student acquires: - the essential basic knowledge of photochemistry and photophysics to understand the optical processes underlying the production and perception of color, oxidative stress following solar radiation in photoprotection strategies and the mechanism exploited in phototherapies; - knowledge on the structure and functional groups of dyes and sensitizers determining their properties as photoactive species at the basis of cosmetics and phototherapy; - knowledge of the characteristics of continuous and pulsed light sources and methods based on the use of LEDs and lasers for whitening, hair removal, photopolymerization and light-based skin treatments, both in cosmetics and medicine; - the ability to apply the knowledge acquired to solve professional problems in the field of light-matter interaction, understanding its basic mechanisms.

Course contents

Basics of photophysics and photochemistry.

- The ground state and the excited electronic states. Photophysical processes and photochemical processes: radiative, non-radiative and bimolecular processes. The fundamental quantities of photochemistry.

- Basics of photoreactivity, photodegradation and phototoxicity

- The photophysical and photochemical properties of dyes and characterization techniques.

- Organic and inorganic pigments, natural and otherwise.

Photoactive cosmetics and photoprotection

- Photoactive cosmetics and photopolymerization

- Biological effects of visible and infrared light (Light-Skin interactions)

- Sunscreens and photoprotection

- Nanotechnologies in photoprotection

Phototherapy

 - Light sources in medicine: principles and applications (in particular lasers).

- Photochemical skin treatments

Readings/Bibliography

Indications about reference texts (all available in the main libraries) will be given during the course.

Papers and review articles will be also provided.

Only for the part of photoprotection:

Steven Q. Wang, Henry W. Lim, Principles and Practice of Photoprotection, Adis Ed., Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Teaching methods

The course is based only on frontal lessons with projection of presentations from a PC.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment will be based on an exam consisting of a single oral test, the official dates of which will be published on the Almaesami website.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector, blackboard.

Office hours

See the website of Nelsi Zaccheroni