LLAMS (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

1) M. Monai, (…) and S. Askes, Grand Challenges and Opportunities in Stimulated Dynamic and Resonant Catalysis, ACS Catalysis 2026, 16, 5, 4077-4112

https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.5c07014 

Perspective highlighting how dynamically modulating catalysts with external stimuli can drive reactions far from steady state, opening pathways that are inaccessible under conventional static operation.

2) Q. Nguyen and A. Baldi, Size Matters: d-Band Holes Drive Plasmonic Chemistry in Gold, Nano Lett. 2025, 25, 40, 14704–14709

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c03849 

This work demonstrates how ensemble photochemical measurements can be used to extract detailed insight into the fundamental processes governing light-driven reactions in nanoparticle catalysts.

The mission of the Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics (LaserLaB) Amsterdam is to perform research, using the interaction of (laser) light and matter, on systems ranging from atoms and molecules to living cells and tissues. A key focus of LaserLab Amsterdam is the development of novel methods, technologies and tools with applications ranging from fundamental physics to clinical diagnostics. Core pillars of LaserLab Amsterdam are molecular physics and high-precision spectroscopy; the study and improvement of photoconversion and photosynthesis; translational biophotonics and imaging as well as the study of fundamental aspects of living systems. The depth and breadth of the research activities as well as the available equipment and broad infrastructure covering biological, chemical and optical laboratories including dedicated machine and electronic workshops make it a very attractive host for external users from various disciplines.

Light offers powerful opportunities to assist with classical polymer recycling processes but also to enable entirely new recycling routes. At LaserLab Amsterdam, we use advanced Raman techniques such as deep-UV or stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS) for the rapid imaging and label-free identification of plastics, including complex and heterogeneous waste streams or coloured materials on conveyor belts. This capability supports sorting and separation strategies that are essential for efficient large-scale recycling. At the same time, we explore how light itself can drive the recycling process. By tuning parameters such as photon energy, intensity, and temporal structure (e.g. pulsed excitation), we tune depolymerization reactions and achieve higher yields of high-value components. These approaches are investigated in dedicated photochemical setups with controlled illumination conditions, combined with sensitive product analysis using operando gas chromatography.

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LLAMS offers a wide variety of equipment to users, including:

• Ultrafast and ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy for molecular physics studies,
• Raman facilities (deep-UV Raman (248 nm) and stimulated Raman microscopy),
• Direct laser writing for fast and simple fabrication of photonic microchips,
• Dark field scattering microscopy and spectroscopy of single nanoscale objects in air or under reactive gas or liquid flow,
• Thermal microscopy of photothermal materials under laser excitation using phase-front imaging,
• Heterogeneous photocatalysis reactor under controlled gas flow and in-line gas chromatography and mass spectrometry,
• Light-driven plastics-recycling reactor with gas chromatography detection,
• Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy,
• X-ray diffraction with temperature control, light illumination, and parallel Raman detection,
• Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, combined with optical tweezers (including wide-field, confocal and STED),
• High-throughput magnetic tweezers in combination with TIRF microscopy,
• Ultrafast photothermal microscopy and holography with tunable IR-excitation and visible readout wavelengths,
• High-resolution DUV microscopy with tunable excitation wavelengths (210-350 nm),
• High-sensitivity iSCAT microscopy and holographic nanoparticle tracking (holoNTA).