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Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes [Ru(CNMe-bpy)x(bpy)3−x]2+ (CN-Me-bpy = 4,4′-dicyano-5,5′-dimethyl2,2′-bipyridine, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, and x =1−3, abbreviated as 12+, 22+, and 32+) undergo four (12+) orfive (22+ and 32+) successive one-electron reduction steps between −1.3 and −2.75 V versus ferrocenium/ferrocene (Fc+/Fc) in tetrahydrofuran. The CN-Me-bpy ligands are reduced first, with successive one-electron reductions in 22+ and 32+ being separated by 150−210 mV; reduction of the unsubstituted bpy ligand in 12+ and 22+ occurs only when all CN-Me-bpy ligands have been converted to their radical anions. Absorption spectra of the first three reduction products of each complex were measured across the UV, visible, near-IR (NIR), and mid-IR regions and interpreted with the help of density functional theory calculations. Reduction of the CN-Mebpy ligand shifts the ν(CN) IR band by ca. −45 cm−1, enhances its intensity ∼35 times, and splits the symmetrical and antisymmetrical modes. Semireduced complexes containing two and three CN-derivatized ligands 2+, 3+, and 30 show distinct ν(C N) features due to the presence of both CN-Me-bpy and CN-Me-bpy•−, confirming that each reduction is localized on a single ligand. NIR spectra of 10, 1−, and 2− exhibit a prominent band attributable to the CN-Me-bpy•− moiety between 6000 and 7500 cm−1, whereas bpy•−-based absorption occurs between 4500 and 6000 cm−1; complexes 2+, 3+, and 30 also exhibit a band at ca. 3300 cm−1 due to a CN-Me-bpy•− → CN-Me-bpy interligand charge-transfer transition. In the UV−vis region, the decrease of π → π* intraligand bands of the neutral ligands and the emergence of the corresponding bands of the radical anions are most diagnostic. The first reduction product of 12+ is spectroscopically similar to the lowest triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited state, which shows pronounced NIR absorption, and its ν(CN) IR band is shifted by −38 cm−1 and 5−7-fold-enhanced relative to the ground state.

Many linked processes occur concurrently in strongly excited semiconductors, such as interband and intraband absorption, scattering of electrons and holes by the heated lattice, Pauli blocking, bandgap renormalization and the formation of Mahan excitons. In this work, we disentangle their dynamics and contributions to the optical response of a ZnO thin film. Using broadband pump-probe ellipsometry, we can directly and unambiguously obtain the real and imaginary part of the transient dielectric function which we compare with first-principles simulations. We find interband and excitonic absorption partially blocked and screened by the photo-excited electron occupation of the conduction band and hole occupation of the valence band (absorption bleaching). Exciton absorption turns spectrally narrower upon pumping and sustains the Mott transition, indicating Mahan excitons. Simultaneously, intra-valence-band transitions occur at sub-picosecond time scales after holes scatter to the edge of the Brillouin zone. Our results pave new ways for the understanding of non-equilibrium charge-carrier dynamics in materials by reliably distinguishing between changes in absorption coefficient and refractive index, thereby separating competing processes. This information will help to overcome the limitations of materials for high-power optical devices that owe their properties from dynamics in the ultrafast regime., Comment: 21 pages plus supplement

The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a structurally and functionally modular photoactive protein involved in cyanobacterial photoprotection. Recently, based on bioinformatic analysis and phylogenetic relationships, new families of OCP have been described, OCP2 and OCPx. The first characterization of the OCP2 showed both faster photoconversion and back-conversion, and lower fluorescence quenching of phycobilisomes relative to the well-characterized OCP1. Moreover, OCP2 is not regulated by the fluorescence recovery protein (FRP). In this work, we present a comprehensive study combining ultrafast spectroscopy and structural analysis to compare the photoactivation mechanisms of OCP1 and OCP2 from Tolypothrix PCC 7601. We show that despite significant differences in their functional characteristics, the spectroscopic properties of OCP1 and OCP2 are comparable. This indicates that the OCP functionality is not directly related to the spectroscopic properties of the bound carotenoid. In addition, the structural analysis by X-ray footprinting reveals that, overall, OCP1 and OCP2 have grossly the same photoactivation mechanism. However, the OCP2 is less reactive to radiolytic labeling, suggesting that the protein is less flexible than OCP1. This observation could explain fast photoconversion of OCP2.

Three molecules in a single lipid bilayer to trigger high-energy photochemistry with low-energy photons., Upconversion is a promising way to trigger high-energy photochemistry with low-energy photons. However, combining upconversion schemes with non-radiative energy transfer is challenging because bringing several photochemically active components in close proximity results in complex multi-component systems where quenching processes may deactivate the whole assembly. In this work, PEGylated liposomes were prepared that contained three photoactive components: a porphyrin dye absorbing red light, a perylene moiety emitting in the blue, and a light-activatable ruthenium prodrug sensitive to blue light. Time-dependent spectroscopic studies demonstrate that singlet perylene excited states are non-radiatively transferred to the nearby ruthenium complex by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Under red-light irradiation of the three-component membranes, triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) occurs followed by FRET, which results in a more efficient activation of the ruthenium prodrug compared to a physical mixture of two-component upconverting liposomes and liposomes containing only the ruthenium complex. This work represents a rare example where TTA-UC and Förster resonance energy transfer are combined to achieve prodrug activation in the phototherapeutic window.

Physical chemistry, chemical physics 20(9), 6274 - 6286 (2018). doi:10.1039/C7CP04880G, The structural dynamics of charge-transfer states of nitrogen-ligated copper complexes has been extensively investigated in recent years following the development of pump–probe X-ray techniques. In this study we extend this approach towards copper complexes with sulfur coordination and investigate the influence of charge transfer states on the structure of a dicopper(I) complex with coordination by bridging disulfide ligands and additionally tetramethylguanidine units [Cu$^{I}$$_{2}$(NSSN)$_2$]$^{2+}$. In order to directly observe and refine the photoinduced structural changes in the solvated complex we applied picosecond pump–probe X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Additionally, the ultrafast evolution of the electronic excited states was monitored by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in the UV-Vis probe range. DFT calculations were used to predict molecular geometries and electronic structures of the ground and metal-to-ligand charge transfer states with singlet and triplet spin multiplicities, i.e. S$_0$, $^1$MLCT and $^3$MLCT, respectively. Combining these techniques we elucidate the electronic and structural dynamics of the solvated complex upon photoexcitation to the MLCT states. In particular, femtosecond optical transient spectroscopy reveals three distinct timescales of 650 fs, 10 ps and >100 ps, which were assigned as internal conversion to the ground state (S$_n$ → S$_0$), intersystem crossing $^1$MLCT → $^3$MLCT, and subsequent relaxation of the triplet to the ground state, respectively. Experimental data collected using both X-ray techniques are in agreement with the DFT-predicted structure for the triplet state, where coordination bond lengths change and one of the S–S bridges is cleaved, causing the movement of two halves of the molecule relative to each other. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy resolves changes in Cu–ligand bond lengths with precision on the order of 0.01 Å, whereas WAXS is sensitive to changes in the global shape related to relative movement of parts of the molecule. The results presented herein widen the knowledge on the electronic and structural dynamics of photoexcited copper–sulfur complexes and demonstrate the potential of combining the pump–probe X-ray absorption and scattering for studies on photoinduced structural dynamics in copper-based coordination complexes., Published by RSC Publ., Cambridge

Intense few-cycle laser pulses can significantly affect the properties of transparent solids during the interaction. These processes take place on femtosecond time scales and they can be studied using ultrafast spectroscopic methods. This dissertation deals with highly nonlinear processes in diamond. In the interaction with a crystalline diamond, we observed a strong nonlinear broadening of the spectrum due to self-phase modulation effect, which allowed us to create a simple technique for compression of pulses from laser oscillator. At the same time, strongly nonlinear five-photon absorption was observed, in which we found a significant anisotropy and dependence on the polarization state. With two-beam pump and probe experiments we present a study of anharmonic phenomena in the dynamics of coherent phonons in diamond, additionally we created a new detection technique of lattice vibrations using multiphoton absorption. Finally, the high time resolution of the experiments revealed that the sub-picosecond electron dynamics strongly depends on the composition and morphology of the polycrystalline diamond thin films. The experimental results of this work provide comprehensive research into the interaction of diamond with few-cycle laser pulses and the development of new spectroscopic methods.