Ultrafast internal-conversion dynamics

Seel, M., and Domcke, W. (1991), Femtosecond Time-resolved Ionization Spectroscopy of Ultrafast Internal-Conversion Dynamics in Polyatomic Molecules Theory and Computational Studies, J. Chem. Phys. 95,7806. 

Pecourt J-ML, Peon J, Kohler B (2001) DNA excited-state dynamics ultrafast internal conversion and vibrational cooling in a series of nucleosides. J Am Chem Soc 123 10370... 

Transient absorption experiments have shown that all of the major DNA and RNA nucleosides have fluorescence lifetimes of less than one picosecond [2—4], and that covalently modified bases [5], and even individual tautomers [6], differ dramatically in their excited-state dynamics. Femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion studies have also shown that the lowest singlet excited states of monomeric bases, nucleosides, and nucleotides decay by ultrafast internal conversion [7-9]. As discussed elsewhere [2], solvent effects on the fluorescence lifetimes are quite modest, and no evidence has been found to date to support excited-state proton transfer as a decay mechanism. These observations have focused attention on the possibility of internal conversion via one or more conical intersections. Recently, computational studies have succeeded in locating conical intersections on the excited state potential energy surfaces of several isolated nucleobases [10-12]. 

Our objective is to understand how the noncovalent interactions responsible for nucleic acid secondary structure (i.e. base stacking and base pairing) affect the photophysics of these multichromophoric systems. Here we describe initial experimental results that demonstrate dramatic differences in excited-state dynamics of nucleic acid polymers compared to their constituent monomers. Although ultrafast internal conversion is the dominant relaxation pathway for single bases, electronic energy relaxation in single-stranded polynucleotides... 

Figure 8. Time-resolved photoelectron spectra revealing vibrational and electronic dynamics during internal conversion in DT. (a) Level scheme in DT for one-photon probe ionization. The pump laser prepares the optically bright state S2. Due to ultrafast internal conversion, this state converts to the lower lying state Si with 0.7 eV of vibrational energy. The expected ionization propensity rules are shown S2 —> Do + e (ei) and Si —> D + (b) Femtosecond time-...

Abstract The study of the fate of electronically excited radical and radical cation of aromatic hydrocarbons is an emerging topic in modern chemical dynamics. Observations like low quantum yield of fluorescence and photostability are of immediate concern to unravel the mechanism of ultrafast nonradiative internal conversion dynamics in such systems. The radical cations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have received considerable attention in this context and invited critical measurements of their optical spectroscopy in a laboratory, in striving to understand the enigmatic diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). 

Benchmark ab initio quantum dynamical studies are carried out for the prototypical naphthalene and anthracene radical cations of the PAH family aiming to understand the vibronic interactions and ultrafast decay of their low-lying electronic states. The broadening of vibronic bands and ultrafast internal conversion through conical intersections in the Da — — D2 electronic states of these species is... 

Theoretical papers on effects directly observable in the very short time regime are notable in this years collection. The theory of femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy of ultrafast Internal conversion processes in polyatomic molecules has been developed using the behaviour of the excited pyrazine molecule as an example . The solvation dynamics for an ion pair in a polar solvent can now be examined by the time dependence of fluorescence and by direct observation of photoinduced charge... 

In this chapter we survey characteristic features of time-dependent quantum wave-packet dynamics on conically intersecting potential-energy (PE) surfaces. The focus will be on the fully microscopic description of nontrivial dynamical processes such as ultrafast internal conversion and photoisomerization, as well as vibrational energy redistribution and dephasing. The quantum dynamics calculations discussed in this chapter are... 

Ultrafast internal-conversion processes involve a complex interplay of electronic and nuclear motions. The visualization of time-dependent wave packets (see below) is a possible way of revealing this interplay. Alternatively, we may consider time-dependent expectation values of appropriate operators which reflect the most relevant properties of the nuclear dynamics. 

Koppel H, Gromov E, Trofimov A (2004) Multi-mode multi-state quantum dynamics of key five-membered heterocycles spectroscopy and ultrafast interned conversion. Chem Phys... 

In view of the computational costs of the on-the-fly, excited-state dynamics simulations, these calculations are currently limited to few picoseconds of a ten- to twenty-atom molecule. This is usually enough to investigate ultrafast internal conversion processes and will be the main topic of this chapter. 

The events taking place in the RCs within the timescale of ps and sub-ps ranges usually involve vibrational relaxation, internal conversion, and photo-induced electron and energy transfers. It is important to note that in order to observe such ultrafast processes, ultrashort pulse laser spectroscopic techniques are often employed. In such cases, from the uncertainty principle AEAt Ti/2, one can see that a number of states can be coherently (or simultaneously) excited. In this case, the observed time-resolved spectra contain the information of the dynamics of both populations and coherences (or phases) of the system. Due to the dynamical contribution of coherences, the quantum beat is often observed in the fs time-resolved experiments. 

The next two chapters are devoted to ultrafast radiationless transitions. In Chapter 5, the generalized linear response theory is used to treat the non-equilibrium dynamics of molecular systems. This method, based on the density matrix method, can also be used to calculate the transient spectroscopic signals that are often monitored experimentally. As an application of the method, the authors present the study of the interfadal photo-induced electron transfer in dye-sensitized solar cell as observed by transient absorption spectroscopy. Chapter 6 uses the density matrix method to discuss important processes that occur in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center, which has congested electronic structure within 200-1500cm 1 and weak interactions between these electronic states. Therefore, this biological system is an ideal system to examine theoretical models (memory effect, coherence effect, vibrational relaxation, etc.) and techniques (generalized linear response theory, Forster-Dexter theory, Marcus theory, internal conversion theory, etc.) for treating ultrafast radiationless transition phenomena. 

Figure 4. Ultrafast hydration correlation function c(t) of tryptophan. The c(t) can be fit with a stretched biexponential model as shown. The inset shows the fluorescence anisotropy dynamics of tryptophan after ultrafast ultraviolet (UV) absorption. The internal conversion between La and Lb states occurs within 80 fs. The free rotation time of tryptophan in bulk water is 46 ps.

The various ultrafast reaction techniques have inevitably been used in a number of the reported investigations on dyes. A study of the saturation absorption dynamics of a cyanovinyldiethylamine dye has yielded a measured lifetime of 3 1 ps, a value which is determined by very rapid internal conversion of the Sj state. ... 

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