Time Scale Of Energy Transfer Research Articles

Elucidating interprotein energy transfer dynamics within the antenna network from purple bacteria

In photosynthesis, absorbed light energy transfers through a network of antenna proteins with near-unity quantum efficiency to reach the reaction center, which initiates the downstream biochemical reactions. While the energy transfer dynamics within individual antenna proteins have been extensively studied over the past decades, the dynamics between the proteins are poorly understood due to the heterogeneous organization of the network. Previously reported timescales averaged over such heterogeneity, obscuring individual interprotein energy transfer steps. Here, we isolated and interrogated interprotein energy transfer by embedding two variants of the primary antenna protein from purple bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2), together into a near-native membrane disc, known as a nanodisc. We integrated ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, quantum dynamics simulations, and cryogenic electron microscopy to determine interprotein energy transfer timescales. By varying the diameter of the nanodiscs, we replicated a range of distances between the proteins. The closest distance possible between neighboring LH2, which is the most common in native membranes, is 25 Å and resulted in a timescale of 5.7 ps. Larger distances of 28 to 31 Å resulted in timescales of 10 to 14 ps. Corresponding simulations showed that the fast energy transfer steps between closely spaced LH2 increase transport distances by ∼15%. Overall, our results introduce a framework for well-controlled studies of interprotein energy transfer dynamics and suggest that protein pairs serve as the primary pathway for the efficient transport of solar energy.

Charge separation in the photosystem II reaction center resolved by multispectral two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

The photosystem II reaction center (PSII RC) performs the primary energy conversion steps of oxygenic photosynthesis. While the PSII RC has been studied extensively, the similar time scales of energy transfer and charge separation and the severely overlapping pigment transitions in the Qy region have led to multiple models of its charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Here, we combine two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) with a continuum probe and two-dimensional electronic vibrational spectroscopy (2DEV) to study the cyt b559-D1D2 PSII RC at 77 K.This multispectral combination correlates the overlapping Qy excitons with distinct anion and pigment-specific Qx and mid-infrared transitions to resolve the charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Through extensive simultaneous analysis of the multispectral 2D data, we find that charge separation proceeds on multiple time scales from a delocalized excited state via a single pathway in which PheoD1 is the primary electron acceptor, while ChlD1 and PD1 act in concert as the primary electron donor.

Spatial-temporal structure functions in Burgers turbulence driven by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process

In Burgers turbulence driven by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, for which the characteristic time scale is much larger than the characteristic time scale of energy transfer, we find the spatial-temporal third-order structure function follows a separation-of-variables form: the spatial dependence follows the classic results calculated from the Karman-Howarth-Monin equation, and the temporal dependence is determined by the temporal correlation of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. This result confirms the forcing dependence of the spatial-temporal structure function and provides an intuitive way of analyzing sparsely measured spatial-temporal turbulence data.

The location of the low-energy states in Lhca1 favors excitation energy transfer to the core in the plant PSI-LHCI supercomplex.

Lhca1 is one of the four pigment-protein complexes composing the outer antenna of plant Photosystem I-light-havesting I supercomplex (PSI-LHCI). It forms a functional dimer with Lhca4 but, differently from this complex, it does not contain 'red-forms,' i.e., pigments absorbing above 700nm. Interestingly, the recent PSI-LHCI structures suggest that Lhca1 is the main point of delivering the energy harvested by the antenna to the core. To identify the excitation energy pathways in Lhca1, we developed a structure-based exciton model based on the simultaneous fit of the low-temperature absorption, linear dichroism, and fluorescence spectra of wild-type Lhca1 and two mutants, lacking chlorophylls contributing to the long-wavelength region of the absorption. The model enables us to define the locations of the lowest energy pigments in Lhca1 and estimate pathways and timescales of energy transfer within the complex and to the PSI core. We found that Lhca1 has a particular energy landscape with an unusual (compared to Lhca4, LHCII, and CP29) configuration of the low-energy states. Remarkably, these states are located near the core, facilitating direct energy transfer to it. Moreover, the low-energy states of Lhca1 are also coupled to the red-most state (red forms) of the neighboring Lhca4 antenna, providing a pathway for effective excitation energy transfer from Lhca4 to the core.

Quantifying Exciton Transport in Singlet Fission Diblock Copolymers.

Singlet fission (SF) is a mechanism of exciton multiplication in organic chromophores, which has potential to drive highly efficient optoelectronic devices. Creating effective device architectures that operate by SF critically depends on electronic interactions across multiple length scales─from individual molecules to interchromophore interactions that facilitate multiexciton dephasing and exciton diffusion toward donor-acceptor interfaces. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the underpinnings of multiexciton transport and interfacial energy transfer in multichromophore systems. Interestingly, block copolymers (BCPs) can be designed to control multiscale interactions by tailoring the nature of the building blocks, yet SF dynamics are not well understood in these macromolecules. Here, we designed diblock copolymers comprising an inherent energy cleft at the interface between a block with pendent pentacene chromophores and an additional block with pendent tetracene chromophores. The singlet and triplet energy offset between the two blocks creates a driving force for exciton transport along the BCP chain in dilute solution. Using time-resolved optical spectroscopy, we have quantified the yields of key energy transfer steps, including both singlet and triplet energy transfer processes across the pentacene-tetracene interface. From this modular BCP architecture, we correlate the energy transfer time scales and relative yields with the length of each block. The ability to quantify these energy transfer processes provides valuable insights into exciton transport at critical length scales between bulk crystalline systems and small-molecule dimers─an area that has been underexplored.

Observation of robust energy transfer in the photosynthetic protein allophycocyanin using single-molecule pump-probe spectroscopy.

Photosynthetic organisms convert sunlight to electricity with near unity quantum efficiency. Absorbed photoenergy transfers through a network of chromophores positioned within protein scaffolds, which fluctuate due to thermal motion. The resultant variation in the individual energy transfer steps has not yet been measured, and so how the efficiency is robust to this variation has not been determined. Here, we describe single-molecule pump-probe spectroscopy with facile spectral tuning and its application to the ultrafast dynamics of single allophycocyanin, a light-harvesting protein from cyanobacteria. We disentangled the energy transfer and energetic relaxation from nuclear motion using the spectral dependence of the dynamics. We observed an asymmetric distribution of timescales for energy transfer and a slower and more heterogeneous distribution of timescales for energetic relaxation, which was due to the impact of the protein environment. Collectively, these results suggest that energy transfer is robust to protein fluctuations, a prerequisite for efficient light harvesting.

Exact time scale of energy exchange in triad interactions of homogeneous isotropic turbulence

We solve analytically the period of a single triad interaction of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. Comparing with the traditional concept of the timescale of energy transfer, we found that this period is a timescale of energy exchange among the three wave vectors of a triad. Quantitatively, the timescale of energy exchange is usually longer if the equilibrium dissipation law is satisfied; however, when energy transfer is suppressed, the energy exchange becomes dominant. We extract the periods in typical numerical experiments of triad interactions and show that they are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. This picture implies that energy exchange corresponds to oscillation, while energy transfer corresponds to damping, and the damping rate is correlated with the oscillation. The present results of the timescale of energy transfer are expected to be applied in nonequilibrium turbulent flows.

Photoacoustic studies of energy transfer from ozone photoproducts to bath gases following Chappuis band photoexcitation.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a sensitive technique for the detection of trace gases and aerosols and measurements of their absorption coefficients. The accuracy of such measurements is often governed by the fidelity of the PAS instrument calibration. Gas samples laden with O3 of a known or independently measured absorption coefficient are a convenient and commonplace route to calibration of PAS instruments operating at visible wavelengths (λ), yet the accuracy of such calibrations remains unclear. Importantly, the photoacoustic detection of O3 in the Chappuis band (λ ∼ 400-700 nm) depends strongly on the timescales for energy transfer from the nascent photoproducts O(3P) and O2(X, v > 0) to translational motion of bath gas species. Significant uncertainties remain concerning the dependence of these timescales on both the sample pressure and the bath gas composition. Here, we demonstrate accurate characterisation of microphone response function dependencies on pressure using a speaker transducer to excite resonant acoustic modes of our photoacoustic cells. These corrections enable measurements of photoacoustic response amplitudes (also referred to as PAS sensitivities) and phase shifts with variation in static pressure and bath gas composition, at discrete visible wavelengths spanning the Chappuis band. We develop and fit a photochemical relaxation model to these measurements to retrieve the associated variations in the aforementioned relaxation timescales for O(3P) and O2(X, v > 0). These timescales enable a full assessment of the accuracy of PAS calibrations using O3-laden gas samples, dependent on the sample pressure, bath gas composition and PAS laser modulation frequency.

Luminescence properties and host sensitization study of Ba3La(PO4)3:Ce3+ with (V)UV and X-ray excitation

We report on successful synthesis and comprehensive study of luminescence spectroscopic properties and decay kinetics of undoped and Ce3+-doped eulytite structure orthophosphate Ba3La(PO4)3 (BLP) upon excitation with UV-VUV and X-ray photons in a wide temperature range. An intrinsic emission located in the UV range is observed for undoped BLP upon both VUV and X-ray excitation. In turn, emission of Ce3+-doped BLP is represented by interconfigurational 5d-4f transitions arising from Ce3+ ions located in two crystallographic sites which demonstrate average decay time of 22 ns and 40 ns upon intracenter excitation. Pulse X-ray excitation results in appearance of slower (μs or longer) decay components and acceleration of the main 5d-4f emission decay component. Host sensitization of Ce3+ emission is well demonstrated by UV-VUV excitation spectra measurements both at liquid helium and at room temperature. Mechanisms influencing the efficiency and time scale of energy transfer from the host to Ce3+ dopant ions are analyzed and discussed while aiming to estimate the potentials of BLP:Ce3+ for scintillator and X-ray phosphor applications.

Rates of Molecular Vibrational Energy Transfer in Organic Solutions.

For condensed-phase reactions, commonly used kinetic models assume that energy exchange from and to solvent molecules is much faster than any reactive steps. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that this does not always hold true. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to explore the time scale for energy transfer between solvent and solute in some typical organic solvents. As a reference, energy transfer between solvent molecules is also considered. The time scale is found to depend most strongly on the identity of the solvent. Energy transfer occurs fastest, with a time scale of roughly 10 ps, for ethanol, DMSO or THF, while it is noticeably slower in dichloromethane and especially supercritical argon, where a time scale well in excess of a hundred picoseconds is found. This suggests that the experimental search for nonthermal effects on selectivity and reactivity in organic chemistry should pay special attention to the choice of solvent, as the effects may occur more frequently in some solvents than in others.

Effect of Swelling on Multiple Energy Transfer in Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles

Many key processes in conjugated polymers are strongly influenced by multiple energy transfer (i.e., exciton diffusion). We investigated the effect of solvent-induced swelling on the kinetics of multiple energy transfer in nanoparticles of the conjugated polymers PFBT and MEH-PPV. Multiple energy transfer between equivalent chromophores results in an increased rate of quenching by defects due to a cascading or funneling effect. The effects of swelling on energy transfer between polymer chromophores and the resulting exciton dynamics were modeled using a random walk on a lattice of chromophores. The simulation results show good agreement with experimental fluorescence quantum yield, and decay kinetics results at low to moderate THF concentrations. We found that the time scale for energy transfer between chromophores (∼5 ps for MEH-PPV nanoparticles and ∼100 ps for PFBT nanoparticles) is highly sensitive to swelling, slowing by an order of magnitude or more for swelled particles. The results support quenchi...

Luminescence tuning and exciton dynamics of Mn-doped CsPbCl3 nanocrystals.

Mn-Doped perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are a new class of materials offering exciting opportunities to control over their optical and magnetic properties. Herein, we report a series of Mn-doped CsPbCl3 NCs exhibiting a tunable Mn photoluminescence (PL) band with a PL peak wavelength pushed up to 625 nm and tuned over a range of 40 nm, the largest achieved so far, by only varying the Mn content. The X-band EPR data and Mn PL decay behaviour of the NCs reveal that the exchange interaction between Mn2+ ions is mainly responsible for a large shift of the Mn PL band. Ultrafast pump-probe measurements show that exciton-dopant energy transfer in these NCs is slower (∼50-100 ps) than trapping of the carriers (∼8-10 ps) in the host lattice. The large PL tuning reported here along with the insights into the mechanism of tuning and carrier dynamics are expected to boost the potential of Mn-doped CsPbCl3 NCs in light-powered devices.

Ultrafast Exciton Hopping Observed in Bare Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Thin Films with Two-Dimensional White-Light Spectroscopy

We observe ultrafast energy transfer between bare carbon nanotubes in a thin film using two-dimensional (2D) white-light spectroscopy. Using aqueous two-phase separation, semiconducting carbon nanotubes are purified from their metallic counterparts and condensed into a 10 nm thin film with no residual surfactant. Cross peak intensities put the time scale for energy transfer at <60 fs, and 2D anisotropy measurements determine that energy transfer is most efficient between parallel nanotubes, thus favoring directional energy flow. Lifetimes are about 300 fs. Thus, these results are in sharp contrast to thin films prepared from nanotubes that are wrapped by polymers, which exhibit picosecond energy transfer and randomize the direction of energy flow. Ultrafast energy flow and directionality are exciting properties for next-generation photovoltaics, photodetectors, and other devices.

Excitation energy transfer between Light-harvesting complex II and Photosystem I in reconstituted membranes

Light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the major peripheral antenna of Photosystem II in plants, participates in several concerted mechanisms for regulation of the excitation energy and electron fluxes in thylakoid membranes. In part, these include interaction of LHCII with Photosystem I (PSI) enhancing the latter's absorption cross-section – for example in the well-known state 1 – state 2 transitions or as a long-term acclimation to high light. In this work we examined the capability of LHCII to deliver excitations to PSI in reconstituted membranes in vitro. Proteoliposomes with native plant thylakoid membrane lipids and different stoichiometric ratios of LHCII:PSI were reconstituted and studied by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission from LHCII was strongly decreased in PSI–LHCII membranes due to trapping of excitations by PSI. Kinetic modelling of the time-resolved fluorescence data revealed the existence of separate pools of LHCII distinguished by the time scale of energy transfer. A strongly coupled pool, equivalent to one LHCII trimer per PSI, transferred excitations to PSI with near-unity efficiency on a time scale of less than 10ps but extra LHCIIs also contributed significantly to the effective antenna size of PSI, which could be increased by up to 47% in membranes containing 3 LHCII trimers per PSI. The results demonstrate a remarkable competence of LHCII to increase the absorption cross-section of PSI, given the opportunity that the two types of complexes interact in the membrane.

Internal Conversion and Vibrational Energy Redistribution in Chlorophyll A.

We have computationally investigated the role of intramolecular vibrational modes in determining nonradiative relaxation pathways of photoexcited electronic states in isolated chlorophyll A (ChlA) molecules. To simulate the excited state relaxation from the initially excited Soret state to the lowest excited state Qy, the approach of nonadiabatic excited state molecular dynamics has been adopted. The intramolecular vibrational energy relaxation and redistribution that accompany the electronic internal conversion process is followed by analyzing the excited state trajectories in terms of the ground state equilibrium normal modes. The time dependence of the normal mode velocities is determined by projecting instantaneous Cartesian velocities onto the normal mode vectors. Our analysis of the time evolution of the average mode energies uncovers that only a small subset of the medium-to-high frequency normal modes actively participate in the electronic relaxation processes. These active modes are characterized by the highest overlap with the nonadiabatic coupling vectors (NACRs) during the electronic transitions. Further statistical analysis of the nonadiabatic transitions reveals that the electronic and vibrational energy relaxation occurs via two distinct pathways with significantly different time scales on which the hopping from Soret to Qx occurs thereby dictating the overall dynamics. Furthermore, the NACRs corresponding to each of the transitions have been consistently found to be predominantly similar to a set of normal modes that vary depending upon the transition and the identified categories. Each pathway exhibits a differential time scale of energy transfer and also a differential set of predominant active modes. Our present analysis can be considered as a general approach allowing identification of a reduced subset of specific vibrational coordinates associated with nonradiative relaxation pathways. Therefore, it represents an adequate prior strategy that can particularly facilitates mixed quantum-classical approaches.

High harmonic generation in underdense plasmas by intense laser pulses with orbital angular momentum

We study high harmonic generation produced by twisted laser pulses, with orbital angular momentum in the relativistic regime, for pulse propagation in underdense plasma. We consider fast time scale processes associated with an ultra-short pulse, where the ion motion can be neglected. We use both analytical models and numerical simulations using a relativistic particle-in-cell code. The present description is valid for relativistic laser intensities, when the normalized field amplitude is much larger than one, a ≫ 1. We also discuss two distinct processes associated with linear and circular polarization. Using both analytical solutions and particle-in-cell simulations, we are able to show that, for laser pulses in a well defined Laguerre-Gauss mode, angular momentum conservation is observed during the process of harmonic generation. Intensity modulation of the harmonic spectrum is also verified, as imposed by the nonlinear time-scale for energy transfer between different harmonics.

Why Quantum Coherence Is Not Important in the Fenna-Matthews-Olsen Complex.

We develop and present an improvement to the conventional technique for solving the Hierarchical Equations of Motion (HEOM), which can reduce the memory cost by up to 75% while retaining the same (or even better) convergence rate and accuracy. This allows for a full calculation of the population dynamics of the 24-site FMO trimer for long time scales with very little effort, and we present the first fully converged, exact results for the 7-site subsystem of the monomer, and for the full 24-site trimer. We then show where our exact 7-site results deviate from the approximation of Ishizaki and Fleming [A. Ishizaki and G. R. Fleming, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2009, 106, 17255]. Our exact results are then compared to calculations using the incoherent Förster theory, and it is found that the time scale of energy transfer is roughly the same, regardless of whether or not coherence is considered. This means that coherence is not likely to improve the efficiency of the transfer. In fact, the incoherent theory often tends to overpredict the rates of energy transfer, suggesting that, in some cases, quantum coherence may actually slow the photosynthetic process.

Noise Source Distribution of Coaxial Subsonic Jet-Short-Cowl Nozzle

The noise source distribution of a short-cowl coaxial jet operating at different velocity ratios is described in this work. This was motivated by an ongoing research about noise prediction of coaxial jets through Acoustic Analogy with purposes of industrial engine application. This research has been carried out between Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Brazil and the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at Southampton University, UK. The numerical approach employed is originally based on Lighthill Acoustic Analogy. This technique, although likely known, is associated with an improved energy transfer time-scale, used in the turbulence two-point correlation function, in order to enhance the source model. The source model is coupled with the aerodynamic calculation of flow through turbulence quantities evaluated by using a standard k-e turbulence modeling. The Computational Fluid Dynamics data have also been used to provide complementary information about the coaxial jet noise production mechanisms. Experimental data were used in order to corroborate the results from the current model. Good agreement has been found, showing that high and low frequency contributors to the radiated noise for low velocity ratio are aggregated in a region about seven to ten secondary diameters downstream, while at higher velocity ratios sources are continuously spread from about one up to ten secondary diameters from the jet exit.

Energy Transfer Observed in Live Cells Using Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy.

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) elucidates electronic structure and dynamics on a femtosecond time scale and has proven to be an incisive tool for probing congested linear spectra of biological systems. However, samples that scatter light intensely frustrate 2DES analysis, necessitating the use of isolated protein chromophore complexes when studying photosynthetic energy transfer processes. We present a method for conducting 2DES experiments that takes only seconds to acquire thousands of 2DES spectra and permits analysis of highly scattering samples, specifically whole cells of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. These in vivo 2DES experiments reveal similar timescales for energy transfer within the antennae complex (light harvesting complex 2, LH2) both in the native photosynthetic membrane environment and in isolated detergent micelles.

Influence of environment induced correlated fluctuations in electronic coupling on coherent excitation energy transfer dynamics in model photosynthetic systems

Two-dimensional photon-echo experiments indicate that excitation energy transfer between chromophores near the reaction center of the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides occurs coherently with decoherence times of hundreds of femtoseconds, comparable to the energy transfer time scale in these systems. The original explanation of this observation suggested that correlated fluctuations in chromophore excitation energies, driven by large scale protein motions could result in long lived coherent energy transfer dynamics. However, no significant site energy correlation has been found in recent molecular dynamics simulations of several model light harvesting systems. Instead, there is evidence of correlated fluctuations in site energy-electronic coupling and electronic coupling-electronic coupling. The roles of these different types of correlations in excitation energy transfer dynamics are not yet thoroughly understood, though the effects of site energy correlations have been well studied. In this paper, we introduce several general models that can realistically describe the effects of various types of correlated fluctuations in chromophore properties and systematically study the behavior of these models using general methods for treating dissipative quantum dynamics in complex multi-chromophore systems. The effects of correlation between site energy and inter-site electronic couplings are explored in a two state model of excitation energy transfer between the accessory bacteriochlorophyll and bacteriopheophytin in a reaction center system and we find that these types of correlated fluctuations can enhance or suppress coherence and transfer rate simultaneously. In contrast, models for correlated fluctuations in chromophore excitation energies show enhanced coherent dynamics but necessarily show decrease in excitation energy transfer rate accompanying such coherence enhancement. Finally, for a three state model of the Fenna-Matthews-Olsen light harvesting complex, we explore the influence of including correlations in inter-chromophore couplings between different chromophore dimers that share a common chromophore. We find that the relative sign of the different correlations can have profound influence on decoherence time and energy transfer rate and can provide sensitive control of relaxation in these complex quantum dynamical open systems.