Picosecond Time-resolved Absorption Spectroscopy Research Articles

Ultrafast spectroscopy of biliverdin dimethyl ester in solution: pathways of excited-state depopulation.

Biliverdin is a bile pigment that has a very low fluorescence quantum yield in solution, but serves as a chromophore in far-red fluorescent proteins being developed for bio-imaging. In this work, excited-state dynamics of biliverdin dimethyl ether (BVE) in solvents were investigated using femtosecond (fs) and picosecond (ps) time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. This study is the first fs timescale investigation of BVE in solvents, and therefore revealed numerous dynamics that were not resolved in previous, 200 ps time resolution measurements. Viscosity- and isotope-dependent experiments were performed to identify the contributions of isomerization and proton transfer to the excited-state dynamics. In aprotic solvents, a ∼2 ps non-radiative decay accounts for 95% of the excited-state population loss. In addition, a minor ∼30 ps emissive decay pathway is likely associated with an incomplete isomerization process around the C15[double bond, length as m-dash]C16 double bond that results in a flip of the D-ring. In protic solvents, the dynamics are more complex due to hydrogen bond interactions between solute and solvent. In this case, the ∼2 ps decay pathway is a minor channel (15%), whereas ∼70% of the excited-state population decays through an 800 fs emissive pathway. The ∼30 ps timescale associated with isomerization is also observed in protic solvents. The most significant difference in protic solvents is the presence of a >300 ps timescale in which BVE can decay through an emissive state, in parallel with excited-state proton transfer to the solvent. Interestingly, a small fraction of a luminous species, which we designate lumin-BVE (LBVE), is present in protic solvents.

Excited-State Dynamics of Pyrene Incorporated into Poly(substituted methylene)s: Effects of Dense Packing of Pyrenes on Excimer Formation

The excited-state dynamics of pyrene incorporated into poly(substituted methylene)s is investigated by picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and femtosecond time-resolved near-IR absorption spectroscopy in the 900–1400 nm region. The pyrene rings in poly(substituted methylene)s are photoexcited to the monomer excited state immediately after UV irradiation, followed by prompt excimer formation with time constants of a few picoseconds to a few hundred picoseconds. The excimer formation in poly(substituted methylene)s proceeds with much shorter time constants than that in pyrene-incorporated polyacrylates, vinyl polymer counterparts with the same side-chain structures, indicating the presence of stronger electronic interaction between the pyrene rings in poly(substituted methylene)s. The effects of every methylene substitution hold when each pyrene ring is connected to the polymer backbone with a monomethylene linker, while the effects are observed only weakly when a tetramethylene linker is emp...

UV-Photochemistry of the Disulfide Bond: Evolution of Early Photoproducts from Picosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at the Sulfur K-Edge.

We have investigated dimethyl disulfide as the basic moiety for understanding the photochemistry of disulfide bonds, which are central to a broad range of biochemical processes. Picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the sulfur K-edge provides unique element-specific insight into the photochemistry of the disulfide bond initiated by 267 nm femtosecond pulses. We observe a broad but distinct transient induced absorption spectrum which recovers on at least two time scales in the nanosecond range. We employed RASSCF electronic structure calculations to simulate the sulfur-1s transitions of multiple possible chemical species, and identified the methylthiyl and methylperthiyl radicals as the primary reaction products. In addition, we identify disulfur and the CH2S thione as the secondary reaction products of the perthiyl radical that are most likely to explain the observed spectral and kinetic signatures of our experiment. Our study underscores the importance of elemental specificity and the potential of time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy to identify short-lived reaction products in complex reaction schemes that underlie the rich photochemistry of disulfide systems.

Development of picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy by high-repetition-rate laser pump/X-ray probe at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

A new setup and commissioning of transient X-ray absorption spectroscopy are described, based on the high-repetition-rate laser pump/X-ray probe method, at the 1W2B wiggler beamline at the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility. A high-repetition-rate and high-power laser is incorporated into the setup with in-house-built avalanche photodiodes as detectors. A simple acquisition scheme was applied to obtain laser-on and laser-off signals simultaneously. The capability of picosecond transient X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurement was demonstrated for a photo-induced spin-crossover iron complex in 6 mM solution with 155 kHz repetition rate.

Towards efficient time-resolved X-ray absorption studies of electron dynamics at photocatalytic interfaces.

We present a picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (tr-XAS) setup designed for synchrotron-based studies of interfacial photochemical dynamics. The apparatus combines a high power, variable repetition rate picosecond laser system with a time-resolved X-ray fluorescence yield detection technique. Time-tagging of the detected fluorescence signals enables the parallel acquisition of X-ray absorption spectra at a variety of pump-probe delays employing the well-defined time structure of the X-ray pulse trains. The viability of the setup is demonstrated by resolving dynamic changes in the fine structure near the O1s X-ray absorption edge of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) after photo-excitation with a 355 nm laser pulse. Two distinct responses are detected. A pronounced, quasi-static, reversible change of the Cu2O O1s X-ray absorption spectrum by up to ∼30% compared to its static line shape corresponds to a redshift of the absorption edge by ∼1 eV. This value is small compared to the 2.2 eV band gap of Cu2O but in agreement with previously published results. The lifetime of this effect exceeds the laser pulse-to-pulse period of 8 μs, resulting in a quasi-static spectral change that persists as long as the sample is exposed to the laser light, and completely vanishes once the laser is blocked. Additionally, a short-lived response corresponding to a laser-induced shift of the main absorption line by ∼2 eV to lower energies appears within <200 ps and decays with a characteristic timescale of 43 ± 5 ns. Both the picosecond rise and nanosecond decay of this X-ray response are simultaneously captured by making use of a time-tagging approach - highlighting the prospects of the experimental setup for efficient probing of the electronic and structural dynamics in photocatalytic systems on multiple timescales.

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Ground and Excited Rhenium–Carbonyl–Diimine Complexes: Evidence for a Two-Center Electron Transfer

Steady-state and picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to study the ground and lowest triplet states of [ReX(CO)(3)(bpy)](n+), X = Etpy (n = 1), Cl, or Br (n = 0). We demonstrate that the transient spectra at both the Re L(3)- and Br K-edges show the emergence of a pre-edge feature, absent in the ground-state spectrum, which is associated with the electron hole created in the highest occupied molecular orbital following photoexcitation. Importantly, these features have the same dynamics, confirming previous predictions that the low-lying excited states of these complexes involve a two-center charge transfer from both the Re and the ligand, X. We also demonstrate that the DFT optimized ground and excited structures allow us to reproduce the experimental XANES and EXAFS spectra. The ground-state structural refinement shows that the Br atom contributes very little to the latter, whereas the Re-C-O scattering paths are dominant due to the so-called focusing effect. For the excited-state spectrum, the Re-X bond undergoes one of the largest changes but still remains a weak contribution to the photoinduced changes of the EXAFS spectrum.

Ultrafast Excited State Dynamics Controlling Photochemical Isomerization of N‐Methyl‐4‐[trans‐2‐(4‐pyridyl)ethenyl]pyridinium Coordinated to a {ReI(CO)3(2,2′‐bipyridine)} Chromophore

Two multifunctional photoactive complexes [Re(Cl)(CO)(3)(MeDpe(+))(2)](2+) and [Re(MeDpe(+))(CO)(3)(bpy)](2+) (MeDpe(+)=N-methyl-4-[trans-2-(4-pyridyl)ethenyl]pyridinium, bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) were synthesized, characterized, and their redox and photonic properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry; ultraviolet-visible-infrared (UV/Vis/IR) spectroelectrochemistry, stationary UV/Vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy; photolysis; picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy in the visible and infrared regions; and time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy. The first reduction step of either complex occurs at about -1.1 V versus Fc/Fc(+) and is localized at MeDpe(+). Reduction alone does not induce a trans-->cis isomerization of MeDpe(+). [Re(Cl)(CO)(3)(MeDpe(+))(2)](2+) is photostable, while [Re(MeDpe(+))(CO)(3)(bpy)](2+) and free MeDpe(+) isomerize under near-UV irradiation. The lowest excited state of [Re(Cl)(CO)(3)(MeDpe(+))(2)](2+) has been identified as the Re(Cl)(CO)(3)-->MeDpe(+ 3)MLCT (MLCT=metal-to-ligand charge transfer), decaying directly to the ground state with lifetimes of approximately 42 (73 %) and approximately 430 ps (27 %). Optical excitation of [Re(MeDpe(+))(CO)(3)(bpy)](2+) leads to population of Re(CO)(3)-->MeDpe(+) and Re(CO)(3)-->bpy (3)MLCT states, from which a MeDpe(+) localized intraligand (3)pipi* excited state ((3)IL) is populated with lifetimes of approximately 0.6 and approximately 10 ps, respectively. The (3)IL state undergoes a approximately 21 ps internal rotation, which eventually produces the cis isomer on a much longer timescale. The different excited-state behavior of the two complexes and the absence of thermodynamically favorable interligand electron transfer in excited [Re(MeDpe(+))(CO)(3)(bpy)](2+) reflect the fine energetic balance between excited states of different orbital origin, which can be tuned by subtle structural variations. The complex [Re(MeDpe(+))(CO)(3)(bpy)](2+) emerges as a prototypical, multifunctional species with complementary redox and photonic behavior.

A fulleropyrrolidine end-capped platinum-acetylide triad: the mechanism of photoinduced charge transfer in organometallic photovoltaic cells

The fullerene end-capped platinum acetylide donor-acceptor triad Pt(2)ThC(60) was synthesized and characterized by using photophysical methods and photovoltaic device testing. The triad consists of the platinum acetylide oligomer Ph-[triple bond, length as m-dash]-Pt(PBu3)2-[triple bond, length as m-dash]-Th-[triple bond, length as m-dash]-Pt(PBu3)2-[triple bond, length as m-dash]-Ph (Ph=phenyl and Th=2,5-thienyl, stereochemistry at both Pt centers is trans) that contains fulleropyrrolidine moieties on each of the terminal phenylene units. Electrochemistry of the triad reveals relatively low potential oxidation and reduction waves corresponding, respectively, to oxidation of the platinum acetylide and reduction of the fulleropyrrolidine units. Photoluminescence spectroscopy shows that the singlet and triplet states of the platinum acetylide chromophore are strongly quenched in the triad assembly, both in solution at ambient temperature as well as in a low-temperature solvent glass. The excited state quenching arises due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer to produce a charge separated state based on charge transfer from the platinum acetylide (donor) to the fulleropyrrolidine (acceptor). Picosecond time resolved absorption spectroscopy confirms that the charge transfer state is produced within 1 ps of photoexcitation, and it decays by charge recombination within 400 ps. Organic photovoltaic devices fabricated using spin-coated films of Pt2ThC60 as the active material operate with modest efficiency, exhibiting a short circuit photocurrent of 0.51 mA cm(-2) and an open circuit voltage of 0.41 V under 100 mW cm(-2)/AM1.5 illumination. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between the mechanism of photoinduced electron transfer in the triad and the comparatively efficient photovoltaic response exhibited by the material.

Ultra-Fast Potential Jump at the Electrochemical Interface Studied by Picosecond Time-Resolved Surface-Enhanced IR Absorption Spectroscopy

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Soft x-ray imaging system for picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy using a femtosecond-laser-plasma source

We have developed an imaging system for time-resolved soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The system consists of a femtosecond-laser-plasma x-ray source for time-resolved measurements and an x-ray microscope with critical illumination for imaging. The temporal and spatial resolutions were 23ps and better than 12.5μm, respectively. We applied this system to the measurement of an aluminum ablation plume induced by irradiation with a 120fs laser pulse. The shift of the L-shell photoabsorption edge in the expanding plume was observed in the spatiotemporally resolved absorbance spectrum. The space- and time-resolved x-ray absorption spectrum of an expanding laser ablation plume was clearly obtained using the developed system.

Ultrafast Charge Separation in a Photoreactive Rhenium-Appended Porphyrin Assembly Monitored by Picosecond Transient Infrared Spectroscopy

Rhenium(bipyridine)(tricarbonyl)(picoline) units have been linked covalently to tetraphenylmetalloporphyrins of magnesium and zinc via an amide bond between the bipyridine and one phenyl substituent of the porphyrin. The resulting complexes, abbreviated as [Re(CO)(3)(Pic)Bpy-MgTPP][OTf] and [Re(CO)(3)(Pic)Bpy-ZnTPP][OTf], exhibit no signs of electronic interaction between the Re(CO)(3)(bpy) units and the metalloporphyrin units in their ground states. However, emission spectroscopy reveals solvent-dependent quenching of porphyrin emission on irradiation into the long-wavelength absorption bands localized on the porphyrin. The characteristics of the excited states have been probed by picosecond time-resolved absorption (TRVIS) spectroscopy and time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy in nitrile solvents. The presence of the charge-separated state involving electron transfer from MgTPP or ZnTPP to Re(bpy) is signaled in the TRIR spectra by a low-frequency shift in the nu(CO) bands of the Re(CO)(3) moiety similar to that observed by spectroelectrochemical reduction. Long-wavelength excitation of [Re(CO)(3)(Pic)Bpy-MTPP][OTf] results in characteristic TRVIS spectra of the S(1) state of the porphyrin that decay with a time constant of 17 ps (M = Mg) or 24 ps (M = Zn). The IR bands of the CS state appear on a time scale of less than 1 ps (Mg) or ca. 5 ps (Zn) and decay giving way to a vibrationally excited (i.e., hot) ground state via back electron transfer. The IR bands of the precursors recover with a time constant of 35 ps (Mg) or 55 ps (Zn). The short lifetimes of the charge-transfer states carry implications for the mechanism of reaction in the presence of triethylamine.

Laser-Induced Potential Jump at the Electrochemical Interface Probed by Picosecond Time-Resolved Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

Picosecond time-resolved surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) has been used for the first time to examine the potential jump at the electrochemical interface induced by a visible pulse irradiation. The potential dependent shift of the C-O stretching vibration of CO adsorbed on a Pt electrode was utilized to monitor the potential jump. A 6-cm(-1) red-shift was observed with a time delay of approximately 200 ps with respect to a visible pump-pulse irradiation (532 nm, 35 ps duration, 3 mJ cm(-2)). The observed red-shift is ascribed to the heating of the in-plane frustrated translational mode of CO and the negative shift of potential. These two contributions can be separated with the aid of the transient of the background reflectivity of the electrode surface. The heating of water layers near the surface is mainly responsible for the potential jump through the orientation change of water molecules. This method is promising as a tool to examine ultrafast electrode dynamics.

Bonding in Liquid Carbon Studied by Time-Resolved X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Even the most basic properties of liquid carbon have long been debated due to the challenge of studying the material at the required high temperature and pressure. Liquid carbon is volatile and thus inherently transient in an unconstrained environment. In this paper we use a new technique of picosecond time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the bonding of liquid carbon at densities near that of the solid. As the density of the liquid increases, we see a change from predominantly sp-bonded atomic sites to a mixture of sp, sp2, and sp3 sites and compare these observations with molecular dynamics simulations.

Picosecond time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy of solvated organometallic complexes

We describe an experimental setup, which measures transient chemical changes of photoexcited solutes in disordered systems via time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) with picosecond temporal resolution. The setup combines a femtosecond amplified laser with picosecond x-ray pulses at beamline 5.3.1 at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, USA. New results on time-resolved XAS used for probing both the electronic and the geometric modifications of a photoexcited tris-(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium (II), [RuII(bpy)3]2+ in water solution are presented.

Picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of luciferin

We present the results of picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of luciferin, substrate of the bioluminescence reaction. Both absorption and emission from the excited states contribute to the detected signal. Time evolution of the differential optical density at different wavelengths is analyzed. Characteristic rate constants of the relaxation processes are determined. The possible relationship between the behavior of the luciferin molecule in the excited state and the properties of the luciferin–luciferase complex is discussed.

Photoinduced intramolecular charge-transfer systems based on porphyrin–viologen dyads for optical limiting

Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer in porphyrin–viologen dyads has been investigated as a potential method leading to optical limiting in the nanosecond range. Solutions of these dyads in acetonitrile were studied by picosecond and nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. Both methods give evidence of efficient photoinduced charge separation. Nonlinear transmission measurements around 600 nm with nanosecond laser pulses have shown that the dyad solution leads to a lower transmission at high incident fluences (>1 J/cm 2 ) than the model porphyrin solution. Moreover, this dyad solution is more efficient than a solution of porphyrin with added viologen, both solutions having the same quenching efficiency.

Vibrational Relaxation and Redistribution in the 2Ag- State of all-trans-Lycopene As Revealed by Picosecond Time-Resolved Absorption Spectroscopy

Vibrational relaxation in the 2Ag- (S1) state of all-trans-lycopene, which takes place in a time scale slower than that of internal conversion, has been found by picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy: The time-resolved Sn (2Bu+) ← S1 (2Ag-) absorption spectra of this carotenoid in quinoline and CS2 solutions can be explained in terms of vibrational structures originating from the CC (ν1) and C−C (ν2) stretching modes, and the time scales of vibrational relaxation (kν1 and kν2 defined for the lowest vibrational transition) relative to that of internal conversion (k) are estimated by spectral simulation; the values of kν1/k and kν2/k are around 0.6 and 0.3 in the quinoline solution and 0.2 and 1.6 in the CS2 solution. The slower vibrational relaxations are discussed in light of the light-harvesting function of carotenoids in photosynthesis.

Triplet exciton formation in a benzophenone single crystal studied by picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy

The formation of triplet excitons in a benzophenone single crystal has been studied by picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. The rate constant of the singlet-triplet intersystem crossing has been determined to be (28 ± 2 ps) −1. With strong excitation the formation of the triplet exciton becomes faster. This is ascribed to the fission of a highly excited state, populated by a biphotonic process, into two triplet excitons.

Time-resolved spectroscopy of wild-type and mutant Green Fluorescent Proteins reveals excited state deprotonation consistent with fluorophore-protein interactions

Recently steady-state and picosecond time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy on the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) have been interpreted by a mechanism where the key process is an excited state deprotonation of the chromophore (M. Chattoraij, B.A. King, G.U. Bublitz and S.G. Boxer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93 (1996) 8362–8367). Such a conclusion was borne out by the mirror image of the picosecond decay of the protonated species RH ∗ in the blue and the concomitant picosecond rise of the green fluorescence of the deprotonated fluorophore R −∗ as well as the significant slowing of both kinetic features upon deuteration. We report similar experiments confirming this mechanism. The results of ultrafast spectroscopy on wild-type GFP together with two important mutants combined with the recent crystal structures are shown to shed more light on the interplay between absorption and emission phenomena in GFP. Beyond some differences with previous results pertaining, for instance, to the assignment of vibronic progressions in absorption spectra and the temperature dependence of excited state deprotonation, several new features have been identified. These concern the deprotonated ground state R − in equilibrium as well as the excited state RH ∗. In particular, we have studied the distributed fluorescence kinetics in the time and frequency domain, excited state absorption features observed in femtosecond time-resolution, and the dependence of excited state proton transfer kinetics on the aggregational state of the protein.

Excited States of Poly(3-octylthiophene) Studied by Picosecond Time-Resolved Absorption Spectroscopy Using a Streak Camera

The excited states of π-conjugated poly(3-octylthiophene) were studied by laser flash photolysis technique. The nanosecond time-resolved absorption spectra for poly(3-octylthiophene) showed the triplet−triplet (T−T) absorption band (λmax 800 nm) in the near-IR region. The intersystem crossing process was investigated by picosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. The absorption−time profile obtained by picosecond laser flash photolysis of poly(3-octylthiophene) using a streak camera showed an initial rising component just after the photolysis and a slow growing component within a few nanoseconds. They were assigned to excited singlet and triplet states, respectively. The absorption−time profiles were analyzed by curve-fitting considering the decay of the excited singlet state and the growth of the excited triplet state. The intersystem crossing rate constant from the excited singlet state to the excited triplet state was determined to be 1.54 × 109 s-1 by the curve-fitting. The S1−Sn and T−T absorption bands were depicted separately using the fitting parameters.