Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ruihua Pu, Ziyu Wang, Ruixue Zhu, Jiaming Jiang, Tsu-Chien Weng, Yifan Huang, Weimin Liu
Summary: Phototherapy is an effective and safe method for reducing high levels of ZZ-BR in newborns' serum. The process involves photoinduced configurational and structural isomerization, which generates excretable isomers. However, the exact mechanism of ZZ-BR photoinduced isomerization is still not well understood.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ruihua Pu, Ziyu Wang, Ruixue Zhu, Jiaming Jiang, Tsu-Chien Weng, Yifan Huang, Weimin Liu
Summary: Phototherapy is an effective and safe method for reducing high levels of ZZ-BR in the serum of newborns. This study used various spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemical calculations to investigate the primary configurational isomerization dynamics of ZZ-BR in organic solvents. The results showed that upon photoexcitation, ultrafast configurational isomerization occurred, followed by intramolecular hydrogen-bond distortion and large-scale rotation of the two dipyrrinone halves of the ZZ-BR isomer in a few picoseconds. Most of the population returned back to ZZ-BR, while a small amount converted into stable BR isomers via structural isomerization.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cheng Chen, J. Nathan Henderson, Dmitry A. Ruchkin, Jacob M. Kirsh, Mikhail S. Baranov, Alexey M. Bogdanov, Jeremy H. Mills, Steven G. Boxer, Chong Fang
Summary: This study systematically analyzed the vibrational properties of FP chromophores by using FSRS and quantum calculations. A bond-stretching mode characteristic of the quinoidal resonance structure was found to be present in most FPs and model chromophores, which can serve as a vibrational marker for interpreting chromophore-environment interactions and structural effects on the electronic properties of the chromophore.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hikaru Kuramochi, Satoshi Takeuchi, Hironari Kamikubo, Mikio Kataoka, Tahei Tahara
Summary: The study found that there was no observable skeletal change in the chromophore of PYP during the excited state, indicating the retention of the trans conformation. This suggests that the structural dynamics of PYP in the excited state is relatively stable.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marc Alias-Rodriguez, Swarnendu Bhattacharyya, Miquel Huix-Rotllant
Summary: Photoexcitation of [Fe-II(2,2'-bipyridine)(3)](2+) causes a subpicosecond spin crossover transformation from a low-spin singlet to a high-spin quintet state. Through quantum wavepacket dynamics, it is shown that metal-centered triplets play a catalytic role in the transition to the high-spin state. By breaking conjugation, the lifetime of MLCT states can be increased, thereby increasing the energy gap between MLCT and MC states.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Steven A. Diaz, David W. Mccamant
Summary: By improving the collection optics, we have developed two new diffuse reflectance-based femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (drFSRS) techniques for collecting Raman spectra of opaque systems. The experimental results demonstrate the current capabilities of collecting high-quality Raman spectra using drFSRS.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Rajeev Ranjan, Giovanni Costa, Maria Antonietta Ferrara, Mario Sansone, Luigi Sirleto
Summary: In this study, the relationship between hardware characteristics and image processing in SRS microscopy literature was explored, with a focus on statistical analysis of image noise. The results demonstrated an improvement in image denoising with the adapted singular spectrum analysis method.
JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lu Zhou, Lauren Pusey-Nazzaro, Guanhua Ren, Ligang Chen, Liyuan Liu, Wentao Zhang, Li Yang, Jun Zhou, Jiaguang Han
Summary: The study presents a method for actively controlling SERS signals through photoinduced modulation under UV irradiation. By dynamically modulating the Fermi level of graphene due to the adsorption and desorption of gas molecules, the method was successfully validated in gas atmospheres of O-2, CO2, N-2, and air. Furthermore, it was applied to trace detection of pesticides on fruit peels, showcasing its practical implications in sensing.
Article
Physics, Applied
A. J. X. Choorakuttil, A. Pruccoli, M. J. Winterhalder, P. Zirak, D. Gudavicius, G. Martynaitis, D. Petrulionis, D. Samsonas, L. Kontenis, A. Zumbusch
Summary: We present an experimental scheme for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy using visible light excitation, allowing for electronically preresonant imaging of a wide range of chromophores with sensitivities as low as 1 mu M. Our experiment utilizes two synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) in the near-infrared region, and by combining spectral focusing and tuning, we demonstrate the recording of epr-SRS spectra over the entire range of molecular vibrations at a speed 20 times faster than classical wavelength tuning. The imaging capabilities of this setup are demonstrated with material scientific and cellular samples.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mason L. L. Valentine, Guoxin Yin, Julius J. J. Oppenheim, Mircea Dinca, Wei Xiong
Summary: We investigated the water H-bond network and its dynamics in Ni2Cl2BTDD using linear and ultrafast IR spectroscopy. We found that water forms an extensive H-bonding network in Ni2Cl2BTDD, which can rearrange within a confined cone up to 50 degrees within 1.3 ps. This reorientation indicates H-bond rearrangement, similar to bulk water. The picosecond H-bond rearrangement in Ni2Cl2BTDD supports its reversibility in water sorption.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Basanta Kumar Rajbongshi, Shahnawaz Rafiq, Suman Bhowmik, Pratik Sen
Summary: In this study, the excited state dynamics of a GFP chromophore analogue, DPI, was investigated using femtosecond spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. It was found that the dynamics of DPI involves the formation of an intramolecular charge transfer state mediated by a twisting motion. Quantum chemical computations further predicted the formation of a conical intersection between the S1 and S0 states, which is the main nonradiative deactivation pathway. This study highlights the importance of restricting twisting motion for GFP analogues to exhibit GFP-like excited state properties.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jaeyong Shin, Changyong Song, Yungok Ihm, Seung-Phil Heo, Daewoong Nam, Sangsoo Kim, Minseok Kim, Intae Eom, Ji Hoon Shim, Do Young Noh, Chulho Jung
Summary: By establishing a multiplexing femtosecond X-ray probe, we have revealed ultrafast energy transfer processes in confined Au nanospheres. Real-time images of electron density distributions with corresponding lattice structures indicate subpico-second melting at the specimen boundary prior to lattice thermalization, followed by the formation of voids. Molecular dynamics simulations show the presence of both heterogeneous and homogeneous melting processes, supported by experimental and theoretical results, providing a comprehensive atomic-scale picture of laser-induced melting and evaporation kinetics.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xiaona Tong, Junxi Shou, Hao Song, Yilin Wang, Ling Huang, Lisha Yin
Summary: Increasing the crystallinity of g-C3N4 improves charge carrier migration and reduces structural defects, leading to enhanced photocatalytic performance. This study prepared crystalline g-C3N4 through a post-treatment method and investigated its charge carrier dynamics using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that crystalline g-C3N4 achieved a significantly higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate compared to pristine g-C3N4 due to improved electron transfer and ultrafast electron mobility.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Luuk J. G. W. van Wilderen, Larissa Blankenburg, Jens Bredenbeck
Summary: This study utilizes femtosecond-to-millisecond time-resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy to uncover structural details of photocycle intermediates in photoactive yellow protein (PYP), shedding light on the protonation of the chromophore and the formation of the partially unfolded signaling state. The findings suggest that a stable transient photocycle intermediate is formed after a sequence of smaller structural changes, and provide spectroscopic evidence for the delayed protonation of the chromophore compared to the nearby residue E46.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jingle Wei, Yuexia Wu, Ruihua Pu, Limin Shi, Jiaming Jiang, Juan Du, Zhiqian Guo, Yifan Huang, Weimin Liu
Summary: The anti-Kasha process allows for the development of novel applications using high-energy excited states. Research has shown that dual-emission fluorophores can be achieved by slowing down the internal conversion from the S-2 state to the S-1 state in the anti-Kasha mechanism.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Sobhan Sen, Anindya Datta, Tahei Tahara
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Munetaka Iwamura, Rina Urayama, Airi Fukui, Koichi Nozaki, Li Liu, Hikaru Kuramochi, Satoshi Takeuchi, Tahei Tahara
Summary: The excited-state dynamics of [Au(CN)(2)(-)] oligomers were investigated using femtosecond time-resolved absorption and emission measurements. The oscillations in the temporal profiles of the absorption signals were observed, indicating the coherent wavepacket motion of the excited-state oligomers. Fourier transforms of the oscillations provided 2D plots, allowing for determination of the peak wavelength of the excited-state absorption of different oligomers.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Kevin J. Kubarych, Megan C. Thielges, Tahei Tahara, Thomas Elsaesser
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Harison Rozak, Satoshi Nihonyanagi, Anton Myalitsin, Subhadip Roy, Mohammed Ahmed, Tahei Tahara, Izabela I. Rzeznicka
Summary: The receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike proteins plays a crucial role in the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2. Mutations in the spike RBD, such as N501Y, result in higher transmissibility by enhancing the binding with negatively charged ACE2. This study investigates the adsorption of ACE2 and spike (N501Y) RBD at a lipid/water interface and provides insights into their interaction in a lipid matrix.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Achintya Kundu, Shoichi Yamaguchi, Tahei Tahara
Summary: The local pH at the interfaces between neutral and charged lipids in biomembranes is crucial for their structure and function. Previous studies have shown that the local pH at charged lipid interfaces is determined by the charge of the lipid. This study uses HD-ESFG spectroscopy to investigate the local pH at neutral lipid interfaces and finds that it is higher than in bulk water for nonionic lipids, and lower for zwitterionic lipids.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Atsushi Sayama, Satoshi Nihonyanagi, Yasuhiro Ohshima, Tahei Tahara
Summary: Superconcentrated electrolyte solutions can stabilize solvent molecules in high-voltage rechargeable batteries, but the mechanism behind this stabilization is not fully understood. This study investigated the interfaces of platinum electrodes and acetonitrile solutions containing dilute and superconcentrated lithium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)-imide (LiTFSI) using in situ and ex situ vibrational spectroscopy techniques. The results showed that the electrode interfaces have different structures in the two solutions, with acetonitrile decomposing in the dilute solution and the TFSI- anion decomposing in the superconcentrated solution.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tahei Tahara, Pardeep Kumar, Hikaru Kuramochi, Satoshi Takeuchi
Summary: Metal nanoparticles can transfer absorbed photon energy to adsorbates, making them highly potential in light-harvesting applications. However, the ultrafast plasmon-driven dynamics of adsorbates on metal nanoparticles are not well understood. In this study, we used TR-SE-ISRS to investigate the ultrafast plasmon-driven processes of trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) adsorbed on gold nanoparticle assemblies (GNAs). Our results revealed that photoexcitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of GNAs altered the chemical interaction between BPE and GNAs on an ultrafast timescale.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Feng Wei, Shu-hei Urashima, Satoshi Nihonyanagi, Tahei Tahara
Summary: In this study, the vibrational spectra of the silica/water interface were measured in a wide pH range. The spectra were decomposed into the diffuse Gouy-Chapman layer and the compact Stern layer, allowing for quantitative analysis of each layer. The surface charge density and pKa value of the silica/water interface were evaluated, providing a molecular-level understanding of the electric double layer at the interface.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chun-Fu Chang, Masae Konno, Keiichi Inoue, Tahei Tahara
Summary: Schizorhodopsin (SzR) is a newly discovered microbial rhodopsin subfamily that functions as an unusual inward-proton pump upon absorbing light. The unique chromophore-protein interactions resulting from two major protein structural differences around the chromophore may be responsible for its unusual function. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how these differences affect the primary photoreaction dynamics.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryo Kimura, Yusuke Yoneda, Hikaru Kuramochi, Shohei Saito
Summary: Flexible and aromatic photofunctional system (FLAP) consists of flapping rigid aromatic wings fused with a flexible 8π ring at the center. We synthesized a new flapping molecule, NPBI-FLAP, which has naphtho-perylenebisimide wings arranged side by side. The fluorescence quenching behavior of these compounds was attributed to rapid symmetry-breaking charge separation for NPBI-FLAP and to intramolecular charge transfer for NPBI-COT through the analyses of environment-sensitive fluorescence, electrochemical reduction/oxidation, and femtosecond transient absorption.
PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Arpan Dey, Aditi Verma, Bidyut Sarkar, Uchit Bhaskar, Mamata Kallianpur, Vicky Visvakarma, Kanchan Garai, Odity Mukherjee, Kunihiko Ishii, Tahei Tahara, Sudipta Maiti
EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Feng Wei, Shu-hei Urashima, Satoshi Nihonyanagi, Tahei Tahara
Summary: The investigation of the water structure at the silica/water interface is crucial, and in this study, the interface-selective vibrational spectra were measured using vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. Through analysis, the spectra were separated into the diffuse Gouy-Chapman layer and the compact Stern layer, allowing for a quantitative understanding of each spectral component. The salt concentration dependence of the spectra and the pH-dependent changes were also analyzed, providing valuable insights into the electric double layer at the silica/water interface.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pardeep Kumar, Hikaru Kuramochi, Satoshi Takeuchi, Tahei Tahara
Summary: Metal nanoparticles have the potential to transfer absorbed photon energy to adsorbates in light-harvesting applications. However, the ultrafast plasmon-driven dynamics of adsorbates on metal nanoparticles are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the ultrafast plasmon-driven processes of trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) adsorbed on gold nanoparticle assemblies (GNAs) using time-resolved surface-enhanced impulsive stimulated Raman spectroscopy (TR-SE-ISRS). Our results show that photoexcitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of GNAs alters the chemical interaction between BPE and GNAs on an ultrafast time scale.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nathaniel. P. Gallop, Dmitry R. Maslennikov, Navendu Mondal, Katelyn P. Goetz, Zhenbang Dai, Aaron M. Schankler, Woongmo Sung, Satoshi Nihonyanagi, Tahei Tahara, Maryna I. Bodnarchuk, Maksym V. Kovalenko, Yana Vaynzof, Andrew M. Rappe, Artem A. Bakulin
Summary: Vibrational control through optical stimulation of structural dynamics can effectively reduce non-radiative recombination and voltage losses in perovskite solar cells.