Interligand Electron Transfer Determines Triplet Excited State Electron Injection in RuN3−Sensitized TiO2 Films

Electron injection from the transition metal complex Ru(dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) (dcbpy = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylate) into a titanium dioxide nanoparticle film occurs along two pathways. The dominating part of the electron injection proceeds from the initially excited singlet state of the sensitizer into the conduction band of the semiconductor on the sub-hundred-femtosecond time scale. The slower part of the injection occurs from the thermalized triplet excited state on the picosecond time scale in a nonexponential fashion, as was shown in a previous study (Benko, G.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 489). Here we show that the slower channel of injection is the result of the excited s…

Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy in near vacuum ultraviolet using ordinary spectrograph and ICCD

An experimental setup to measure laser-induced plasma emission spectra with an ordinary Czerny-Turner spectrograph and intensified charge-coupled device in the near vacuum ultraviolet down to 130 nm is described. Spectra of bromine, chlorine and iodine were recorded to demonstrate the performance of the setup.

Anthracene Fluorescence Quenching by a Tetrakis (Ketocarboxamide) Cavitand

Quenching of both fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence intensity of anthracene was investigated in the presence of a newly derived tetrakis (ketocarboxamide) cavitand at various concentrations. Time-correlated single photon counting method was applied for the lifetime measurements. A clear correlation between the fluorescence lifetime of anthracene as a function of cavitand concentration in dimethylformamide solution was observed. The bimolecular collisional quenching constant was derived from the decrease of lifetime. Fluorescence intensity was measured in the emission wavelength region around 400 nm as a result of excitation at 280 nm. Effective quenching was observed in the presence of…

Multiple vibrational resonances in the Raman spectra of liquid ethanes

The Raman spectra of liquid ethane, ethane-d3 and ethane-d6 were recorded and analysed. The CH3 and CD3 stretching regions were computer resolved using Cauchy-Gaussian and Voigt functions to account for asymmetric band shapes. Multiple vibrational resonances were investigated using the wavenumbers and observed intensities in these regions. The developed basis functions show strong mixing of the levels in these regions. In general the resonances appear to be less strong in the liquid phase than reported in previous studies of the gaseous state. Some new assignments in the liquid-state spectra of ethanes could be suggested.

X-ray microtomography and laser ablation in the analysis of ink distribution in coated paper

A novel method was developed for studying the ink-paper interface and the structural variations of a deposited layer of ink. Combining high-resolution x-ray tomography with laser ablation, the depth profile of ink (toner), i.e., its varying thickness, could be determined in a paper substrate. X-ray tomography was used to produce the 3D structure of paper with about 1 μm spatial resolution. Laser ablation combined with optical imaging was used to produce the 3D structure of the printed layer of ink on top of that paper with about 70 nm depth resolution. Ablation depth was calibrated with an optical profilometer. It can be concluded that a toner layer on a light-weight-coated paper substrate …

Molecular structures of chlorophyll a aggregates: spectroscopic and molecular modeling study

Molecular structures of chlorophyll a aggregates have been studied. Spectroscopic properties of these aggregates have been studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in hydrocarbon solution at various temperatures. Observed spectroscopic shifts were interpreted in terms of simple exciton theory. Exciton splittings were estimated from computer optimized models of previously suggested Chl a aggregate structures.

Standard testing of photovoltaic modules for use in renewable energy education

A photovoltaic laboratory exercise has been devised and used in the educational curriculum of the Renewable Energy Programme at the University of Jyväskylä. The purpose of the experimental tasks is to give students of renewable energy a good understanding of standard testing procedures used in industry for characterising photovoltaic modules and to provide practical skills in sizing simple photovoltaic installations. Herein the experimental set-up, basic theory and measurement procedure are described. The experimental apparatus is simple to assemble and uses both standard laboratory equipment and recycled components. From the experimental results, the tested PV cell had a maximum efficiency…

<title>Time-resolved fluorescence study of interaction of the monoclonal anticoproporphyrin antibodies and (Pt-)coproporphyrin</title>

Mechanisms of ligand binding by monoclonal anti-coproporphyrin antibodies are studied by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy by use of a picosecond laser system. The antibodies quench the coproporphyrin (CP) fluorescence, but the CP fluorescence spectra show a strong shift of maxima at high concentrations of antibodies (Ab) or their Fab fragment. This can be explained by a special type of Ab or Fab dimerization. Fluorescence decays of CP are measured at different concentrations of Ab and different pH values. The following deconvolution procedure based on the non-linear least squares method reveals a two- exponential character of the fluorescence decay. Data obtained by …

Suppression of Forward Electron Injection from Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 to Nanocrystalline TiO2 Film As a Result of an Interfacial Al2O3 Barrier Layer Prepared with Atomic Layer Deposition

Subnanometer-thick Al2O3 barrier layers on nanocrystalline TiO2 film were prepared with atomic layer deposition (ALD). The method allowed variation of barrier thicknesses at atomic resolution also deep in nanoporous structures, which makes it a superior method as compared to, e.g., sol−gel techniques. In this letter we present results on the effect of Al2O3 barriers of various thicknesses on forward electron injection in dye-sensitized solar cells. A decrease in the amplitude of the oxidized Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 dye absorption signal due to singlet injection was observed already after one deposition cycle that produces a discontinuous layer with nominal thickness of 1 A. More than two layer coa…

Injection and ultrafast regeneration in dye-sensitized solar cells

Injection of an electron from the excited dye molecule to the semiconductor is the initial charge separation step in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC's). Though the dynamics of the forward injection process has been widely studied, the results reported so far are controversial, especially for complete DSC's. In this work, the electron injection in titanium dioxide (TiO2) films sensitized with ruthenium bipyridyl dyes N3 and N719 was studied both in neat solvent and in a typical iodide/triiodide (I-/I3 -) DSC electrolyte. Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy was used to monitor both the formation of the oxidized dye and the arrival of injected electrons to the conduction band of TiO2. Emiss…

Investigations of Chl a aggregates cross-linked by dioxane in 3-methylpentane

In this work, dioxane-bound aggregates of chlorophyll a are prepared in 3-methylpentane. The properties of the aggregates are studied by using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies. The Q -region absorption spectrum of the y chlorophyll a-dioxane aggregate shows four clearly resolvable narrow bands with comparable intensities. The band maxima are located at 683, 689, 698 and 702 nm. The emission spectrum consists of two emission bands centred at 699 and 702 nm suggesting the presence of two types of aggregates. High degree of fluorescence polarization is detected yielding the angles between the absorption transition moments with respect to the 702 nm emission transition moment. The …

Quaternary ammonium polyiodides as ionic liquid/soft solid electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract Four new quaternary ammonium iodides, (Me 2 Pe 2 N)I, (Me 2 Hex 2 N)I, (Et 2 Pe 2 N)I and (Et 2 Hex 2 N)I, were synthesized and studied as electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells. All compounds were solids at room temperature. Influence of varying amounts of elemental iodine and the effect of tert -butylpyridine (TBP) on the performance of the cell was also studied. Addition of iodine lowered the melting points of the resulting polyiodides. From the ammonium iodides only (Me 2 Hex 2 N)I:I 2 (10:1) was liquid at the room temperature and the others were soft solids. Under illumination from a halogen lamp source at 10 mW cm −2 intensity, the highest power conversion efficiency of 2…

The effect of temperature on the internal dynamics of dansylated POPAM dendrimers

The internal and rotational dynamics of the dansylated poly(propylene amine) dendrimers (POPAM) have been studied by time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The hydrodynamic volumes of the dendrimer generations from G1 to G4 were estimated by fluorescence anisotropy data. Experiments and simulations suggest that the volume and the shape of the dendrimers are temperature dependent. At low temperatures the dendrimer structure becomes more spacious and rigid and back-folding of the individual branches is slowed down. For the G3 and G4 generations the temperature effects are much stronger than for the smaller G1 and G2 generations, where back-fold…

Study of Mechanisms of Light-Induced Dissociation of Ru(dcbpy)(CO)2I2 in Solution down to 20 fs Time Resolution

Mechanisms of the light-induced ligand exchange reaction of (trans-I) Ru(dcbpy)(CO)2I2 (dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine) in ethanol have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. Ultraviolet 20 fs excitation pulses centered at 325 nm were used to populate a vibrationally hot excited pi bipyridyl state of the reactant that quickly relaxes to a dissociative Ru-I state resulting in the release of one of the carbonyl groups. Quantum yield measurements have indicated that about 40% of the initially exited reactant molecules form the final photoproduct. A 62 fs rise component in the transient absorption (TA) signal was observed at all probe wavelengths in the visible regio…

Dye-sensitized nanostructured TiO2 film based photoconductor

Grooves were etched in a conductive layer of a conductive, transparent glass, and a nanoporous TiO2 film was deposited on both the conductive and nonconductive area. The width of the grooves was 100 $\mu$m and 150 $\mu$m. A transparent TiO2 film was dye-sensitized, covered with an electrolyte, and sandwiched with a cover glass. The conductivity of the dye-sensitized TiO2 film permeated with electrolyte was studied in the dark and under illumination, and was observed to be dependent on light intensity, wavelength and applied voltage. This study shows that dye-sensitized nanoporous films can be used as a wavelength dependent photoconductor.

New energy policy for providing growth and employment

This report is a public speech, which springs from the observations of researchers of various fields, of the notion that the present energy policy does not serve the national benefit as a whole. The new energy policy thinking demonstrated in this report, when implemented, would lead to the economic and employment growth and to many other positive phenomena in the society. Through the new energy policy, preventing the climate change would become a great opportunity to our country instead of a threat.

Determination of Cl/C and Br/C ratios in pure organic solids using laser-induced plasma spectroscopy in near vacuum ultraviolet

Several solid organic compounds containing bromine and chlorine were analyzed with laser-induced plasma spectroscopy. Emission lines were detected in the near vacuum ultraviolet spectral region by using a gas-purged spectrograph and an intensified charge-coupled device detector. The performance of this setup in the determination of the halides in the organic samples was evaluated. Carbon emission lines in the near vacuum ultraviolet were used as internal standards for the measurement of chlorine and bromine. Linear correlation was found between the carbon and halogen emission signal ratio and the corresponding atomic ratio of the compound.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions in a Porphyrin−Viologen Complex:  Observation of S2 to S1 Relaxation and Electron Transfer from the S2 State

Photoinduced Energy Transfer Reactions in a Porphyrin-Viologen Complex: Observation of S2 to S1 Relaxation and Electron Transfer from the S2 state

Rotation correlation time as a measure of microviscosity of excited state isomerization reactions of three cyanine dyes in n-alcohol solutions

Abstract Rotation correlation times of three chemically similar cyanine dyes of different sizes in n -alcohol solutions have been recorded at several temperatures by using polarized picosecond spectroscopy. For all three dyes the linear temperature dependencies of τ or on η/ T were observed to be independent of solvent up to viscosities of about 60 cP. The rotational motion of the dyes proceeds at much slower rates than the excited state isomerization in viscous solutions of the same fluidity. Isomerization seems to depend on special solvent-induced changes of the force field of the reactant and clearly proceeds faster, especially for the two larger dyes, than predicted by Kramers' theory a…

Excitation Energy Transfer in Isolated Chlorosomes from Chlorobaculum tepidum and Prosthecochloris aestuarii

Excitation energy transfer in chlorosomes from photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria, Chlorobaculum (Cba.) tepidum and Prosthecochloris (Pst.) aestuarii, have been studied at room temperature by time-resolved femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Bleach rise times from 117 to 270 fs resolved for both chlorosomes reflect extremely efficient intrachlorosomal energy transfer. Bleach relaxation times, from 1 to 3 ps and 25 to 35 ps, probed at 758 nm were tentatively assigned to intrachlorosomal energy transfer based on amplitude changes of the global fits and model calculations. The anisotropy decay constant of about 1 ps resolved at 807 nm probe wavelength for the chlorosomes from Chlo…

Spectroscopic Properties of Mg−Chlorin, Mg−Bacteriochlorin, and Bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h Studied by Semiempirical and Ab Initio MO/CI Methods

The semiempirical PM3 method has been used to calculate fully optimized structures of bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h, magnesium−chlorin, and magnesium−bacteriochlorin. Several configuration interaction (CI) methods, the PM3 (5,5) CIS and CISD, ZINDO/S CIS (n,n) with 2 < n <30, and ab initio CIS (5,5)/6-31G* methods, were tested for their predictive power in estimation of spectroscopic properties of bacteriochlorophylls. The ZINDO/S CIS (15,15) method turned out the best results for overall simulation of absorption spectra. Both the transition energies and relative intensities of the Qy, Qx, and Soret bands were correctly predicted. The effect of solvent coordination on the …

Sulfide mineral identification using laser-induced plasma spectroscopy

Sulfide minerals in rock samples were identified with laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) in the near vacuum ultraviolet spectral region. Reference spectra of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, barite, calcite and dolomite were applied to classification of minerals in sulfur-bearing drill core samples. On the basis of the results mineral distributions in the sample were estimated. The potential of the LIPS method for in situ analysis is discussed.

Excitation Energy-Transfer in the LH2 Antenna of Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria via Excitonic B800 and B850 States

A newly developed CIEM method that uses a combination of semi-empirical or ab-initio configuration interaction methods and exciton theory to predict electronic energies, eigenstates, absorption and CD spectra of aggregated chromophoric systems with environmental interactions included is extended and used for estimation of excitation energy transfer rates. Excitonic energy levels of the two ring systems the B800 and the B850 of the light harvesting antenna LH2 of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila and the corresponding absorption spectrum were calculated by assuming inter-ring interactions to be zero. Excitation energy transfer rates were calculated by using the Fermi Golden rule with the dipole - …

Pico: A data acquisition program for picosecond laser spectroscopy

Abstract A data acquisition and control program for picosecond pump and probe experiments has been developed. The program PICO is written in C-programming language for maximum efficiency. The software which runs on an IBM PC compatible microcomputer controls a stepper motor driven optical delay, and at the same time collects data from a digital lock-in amplifier. PICO can be used to control any experiment utilizing two-beam pump probe technique. The modular structure of the software allows for easy implementation with different hardware configurations. The program includes: measurement option, manual control of the delay line using a joystick and functions for file retrieval and editing. Ad…

Dielectric friction effects on rotational reorientation of three cyanine dyes in n-alcohol solutions

We have estimated the effect of dielectric friction on the rotational correlation times of three cationic cyanine dyes. Dielectric corrections were evaluated by using the Stokes–Einstein-Debye hydrodynamic continuum model including the dielectric friction for DiIC2, DiIC6, and DiIC14 in different n-alcohol solutions at room temperature. The dielectric corrections were done to cis and trans conformations of the cyanine dyes. For the trans conformations, which were found more stable than cis conformations, the dielectric model seemed to be more properly suited. The ground and excited state dipole moments for the calculations were evaluated from ab initio molecular orbital calculations and for…

Electron Transfer from the Singlet and Triplet Excited States of Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2into Nanocrystalline TiO2Thin Films

Time-resolved absorption spectroscopy was used to study the femtosecond and picosecond time scale electron injection from the excited singlet and triplet states of Ru(dcbpY)(2)(NCS)(2) (RuN3) into titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystalline particle film in acetonitrile. The fastest resolved time constant of similar to30 fs was shown to reflect a sum of two parallel ultrafast processes, nonergodic electron transfer (ET) from the initially excited singlet state of RuN3 to the conduction band of TiO2 and intersystem crossing (ISC). The branching ratio of 1.5 between the two competing processes gives rate constants of 1/50 fs(-1) for ET and 1/75 fs(-1) for ISC. Following the ultrafast processes, a…

Study of Toner Penetration in Papers by Laser Induced Plasma Spectroscopy and Optical Profilometry

Four major toners are used in the printing industry, cyan, magenta, yellow and black (Key) for making color images on paper. Paper brands suitable for printing have thin mineral/latex coatings, and toners are applied on top of the coating in the printing process. Chemical compositions from toner to toner, as well as from coating to coating, vary according to the needs of the end user. Interactions between the toner and the coating define the final color formation of the images in printing. Hence, it is important to study characteristics and dynamics of toners on coated papers. In this paper, we have used laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) to provide information on elemental distributi…

Transient absorption studies of the Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 excited state and the dye cation on nanocrystalline TiO2 film

We have measured dynamics of the Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 [dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine] excited state and the dye cation on nanocrystalline TiO2 film in the wavelength region 700–900 nm. The dye in ethanol solution and Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 sensitized nanocrystalline Al2O3 films were used as non-injecting reference samples for excited state identification. For TiO2/Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 film the `reactant' decay and `product' formation kinetics observed at different probe wavelengths showed that the resolved transient absorption picosecond components (1.1±0.2), (12±2) and (100±5) ps are related to electron injection from the excited states of the dye to the semiconductor TiO2.

Quantum chemical simulation of excited states of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls and their complexes

The present review describes the use of quantum chemical methods in estimation of structures and electronic transition energies of photosynthetic pigments in vacuum, in solution and imbedded in proteins. Monomeric Mg-porphyrins, chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls and their solvent 1:1 and 1:2 complexes were studied. Calculations were performed for Mg-porphyrin, Mg-chlorin, Mg-bacteriochlorin, mesochlorophyll a, chlorophylls a, b, c(1), c(2), c(3), d and bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, plus several homologues. Geometries were optimised with PM3, PM3/CISD, PM5, ab initio HF (6-31G*/6-311G**) and density functional B3LYP (6-31G*/6-311G**) methods. Spectroscopic transition energ…

Semiempirical PM5 molecular orbital study on chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls: Comparison of semiempirical,ab initio, and density functional results

The semiempirical PM5 method has been used to calculate fully optimized structures of magnesium-bacteriochlorin, magnesium-chlorin, magnesium-porphin, mesochlorophyll a, chlorophylls a, b, c(1), c(2), c(3), and d, and bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h with all homologous structures. Hartree-Fock/6-31G* ab initio and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* methods were used to optimize structures of methyl chlorophyllide a, chlorophyll c(1), and methyl bacteriochlorophyllides a and c for comparison. Spectroscopic transition energies of the chromophores and their 1:1 or 1:2 solvent complexes were calculated with the Zindo/S CIS method. The self-consistent reaction field model was used t…

X-ray microtomography and laser ablation in the analysis of ink distribution in coated paper

A novel method was developed for studying the ink-paper interface and the structural variations of a deposited layer of ink. Combining high-resolution x-ray tomography with laser ablation, the depth profile of ink (toner), i.e., its varying thickness, could be determined in a paper substrate. X-ray tomography was used to produce the 3D structure of paper with about 1 lm spatial resolution. Laser ablation combined with optical imaging was used to produce the 3D structure of the printed layer of ink on top of that paper with about 70 nm depth resolution. Ablation depth was calibrated with an optical profilometer. It can be concluded that a toner layer on a light-weight-coated paper substrate …

Molecular aggregates of quinuclidine and chlorophyll a

A slightly polar molecule quinuclidine seems to form weakly bound aggregates in concentrated water solutions. Molecular dynamics simulation of a 6 mol water solution indicates clustering of quinuclidine molecules into an almost spherical structure with polar ends of the molecules pointing towards the solvent. Experimental evidence of aggregation was obtained by observing a small but obvious red shift of the o'' a absorption and a dramatic shortening of the fluorescence lifetime of the c n transition of concentrated solutions. The observed self-quenching is interpreted in terms of Frster model for energy transfer in the cluster. It is estimated that excitation may migrate on the cluster surf…

Quantum Chemical Simulations of Excited-State Absorption Spectra of Photosynthetic Bacterial Reaction Center and Antenna Complexes

The semiempirical ZINDO/S CIS configuration interaction method has been used to study the ground- and excited-state absorption spectra of wild type and heterodimer M202HL reaction centers from purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides as well as of peripheral LH2 and LH3 light harvesting complexes from purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. The calculations well reproduce the experimentally observed excited-state absorption spectra between 1000 and 17,000 cm(-1), despite the necessarily limited number of chromophores and protein subunits involved in the calculations. The electron density analysis reveals that the charge transfer between adjacent chromophores dominates the excited-stat…

Laser-Induced Plasma Emission Spectrometric Study of Pigments and Binders in Paper Coatings:  Matrix Effects

Laser-induced plasma emission spectroscopy (LIPS) has been used to study inorganic pigment and organic binder distributions in paper coatings, which are inhomogeneous and porous materials. The plasma was generated by focusing a pulsed XeCl excimer laser beam (diameter 100 μm, irradiance 0.3 GW/cm2) on the sample surface at atmospheric pressure. A gated intensified CCD detector was used to record time-delayed emission spectra. Linear correlations between the LIPS signals and the coat weight and the binder content of the coatings studied were obtained. Emission line intensities from ionic and neutral magnesium atoms were used to evaluate plasma temperature corrections in determining silicon a…

Photoinduced ultrafast dynamics of Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 films:The influence of sample preparation and experimental conditions

In most of the previous ultrafast electron injection studies of Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 films, experimental conditions and sample preparation have been different from study to study and no studies of how the differences affect the observed dynamics have been reported. In the present paper, we have investigated the influence of such modifications. Pump photon density, environment of the sensitized film (solvent and air), and parameters of the film preparation (crystallinity and quality of the film) were varied in a systematic way and the obtained dynamics were compared to that of a well-defined reference sample:  Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2−TiO2 in acetonitrile. In some cases, …

Red Spectral Forms of Chlorophylls in Green Plant PSI - A Site-Selective and High-Pressure Spectroscopy Study

One of the special spectroscopic characteristics of photosystem I (PSI) complexes is that they possess absorption and emission bands at lower energy than those of the reaction center. In this paper, the red pigment pools of PSI-200, PSI-core, and LHCI complex from Arabidopsis thaliana have been characterized at low temperatures by means of spectrally selective (hole-burning and fluorescence line-narrowing) and high-pressure spectroscopic techniques. It was shown that the green plant PSI-200 complex has at least three red pigment pools, from which two are located in the PSI-core and one, in the peripheral light-harvesting complex I (LHCI). All of the red pigment pools are characterized by st…

Kasvua ja työllisyyttä uudella energiapolitiikalla

Tämä raportti on julkinen puheenvuoro, joka kumpuaa eri alojen tutkijoiden havainnoista, että nykyinen energiapolitiikka ei palvele täysimääräisesti kansakunnan etua. Tässä raportissa esitelty uusi energiapoliittinen ajattelu johtaisi toteutuessaan talouden ja työpaikkojen määrän kasvuun ja moniin muihin myönteisiin ilmiöihin yhteiskunnassa. Uuden energiapolitiikan kautta ilmastonmuutoksen torjunnasta tulisi maallemme merkittävä mahdollisuus eikä uhka. Tekijät toivovat, että raportti käynnistää vilkkaan ja asiallisen julkisen keskustelun energiapolitiikan mahdollisuuksista ja tulevaisuudesta ja tätä kautta energiapolitiikka saataisiin paremmin palvelemaan kansakunnan kokonaisetua. Raportti …

Ultrafast Dynamics of Dansylated POPAM Dendrimers and Energy Transfer in their Dye Complexes

We have studied internal dynamics of dansylated poly(propyleneamine) dendrimers of different generations in solution and excitation energy transfer from dansyl chromophores to xanthene dyes that form van der Waals complexes with the dendrimers

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Imaging of Paper Surfaces

Laser-induced fluorescence imaging has been used to study the microstructure of paper surfaces. Pulses from a XeCl-excimer laser, 10 ns in duration at 308 nm, were used for excitation, and fluorescence was collected at 420 nm. The excitation spot diameter was approximately 20 µm, and the sampling interval 0.15 mm. Within an area of 5*5 mm2, 1023 sampling points were recorded to generate 3D fluorescence maps of paper surfaces. Papers containing fluorescence whitening agents (FWAs) gave the highest average fluorescence signals. Coated papers with no FW As show weaker signals than the base sheet. For some thirty different paper samples, an obvious correlation between the amount of coating and…

Fabrication and characterization of vacuum deposited fluorescein thin films

Simple vacuum evaporation technique for deposition of dyes on various solid surfaces has been developed. The method is compatible with conventional solvent-free nanofabrication processing enabling fabrication of nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Thin films of fluorescein were deposited on glass, fluorine-tin-oxide (FTO) coated glass with and without atomically layer deposited (ALD) nanocrystalline 20 nm thick anatase TiO2 coating. Surface topology, absorption and emission spectra of the films depends on their thickness and the material of supporting substrate. On a smooth glass surface the dye initially formes islands before merging into a uniform layer after 5 to 10 monolayers. On FTO cove…

Ultrafast energy transfer in dansylated POPAM–eosin complexes

Abstract Excitation energy transfer (EET) in dendritic host–guest complexes has been studied. Three generations G2, G3 and G4 of dansyl substituted poly(propyleneamine) dendrimers (POPAM) were complexed with a fluorescent dye eosin in chloroform solution. Arrival of excitation from dansyls to eosin was monitored by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. EET rates from the dansyls to eosin(s) are characterised by two time constants 1 ps and 6 ps independent of dendrimer generation. Relaxation processes in eosin were clearly faster when complexed with dendrimer than in solution. As several eosins are bound to G3 and G4 dendrimers, besides host–guest interaction, also eosin–eosin inter…

Exciton interactions in self-organised bacteriochlorophyll a - aggregates

Exciton interactions of self-organised bacteriochlorophyll a - aggregates in non-polar solution linked via water and dioxane have been studied. Absorption and CD spectra of the aggregates show large red shifts typical of J-aggregates. Femtosecond excitation of the Qy band of the aggregates is followed by wavelength dependent non-exponential picosecond relaxation and anisotropy decay takes place in subpicosecond time scale. To explain these observations exciton theory and semi-empirical MO/CI calculations, that constitute the basis of the CIEM-approach developed by Linnanto et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B, 1999, 103B, 8739) was used. Structural models of aggregates were created by using the molecul…

Uusiutuvan energian ohjelmalla vahva vaikutus

Photoinduced ultrafast dye-to-semiconductor electron injection from nonthermalized and thermalized donor states.

Electron injection from the transition metal complex Ru(dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) (dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) into a titanium dioxide nanocrystalline film occurs on the femto- and picosecond time scales. Here we show that the dominating part of the electron transfer proceeds extremely rapidly from the initially populated, vibronically nonthermalized, singlet excited state, prior to electronic and nuclear relaxation of the molecule. The results are especially relevant to the understanding and design of molecular-based photovoltaic devices and artificial photosynthetic assemblies.

Transient Midinfrared Study of Light Induced Dissociation Reaction of Ru(dcbpy)(CO)2I2 in Solution

Illumination of Ru(dcbpy)I2(CO)2 (dcbpy = 4,4‘-dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine) with (near) ultraviolet light induces dissociation of one of the CO groups of the complex. In solution the opened coordination site of the metal is occupied by a solvent molecule. In the present study the kinetics of the ligand exchange reaction has been studied in solution with femtosecond time resolution by probing the CO stretching vibrations of the reactant and the product molecules Ru(dcbpy)I2(CO)(EtOH) in the infrared and probing electronic transitions in the visible spectral regions. The kinetic results indicate that photoelimination of the CO group occurs on a subpicosecond time scale. The overall quantum yiel…

Theoretical study of excitation transfer from modified B800 rings of the LH II antenna complex of Rps. acidophila

The recently developed configuration interaction exciton model has been applied to study spectral shifts and B800 to B850 energy transfer rates in a series of modified LH2 light harvesting antenna complexes of the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. Complexes, where the in vivo B800 bacteriochlorophyll a chromophores are exchanged with different tetrapyrroles including chlorophyll a were studied. Absorption spectra of the modified complexes were simulated by using quantum chemical methods to evaluate site and interaction energies and exciton theory to generate the eigenstates of the chromophore assemblies. Four experimental input parameters: the transition moment of Bchl a, the di…

Excitation Transport in Helical Proteins

Recent results for excitation dynamics in and IR-absorption spectrum of helical polypeptides are briefly reviewed.

Intriguing Photochemistry of the Additives in the Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Over the years numerous mixes of chemical compounds have been tried in the electrolytes of dye-sensitized solar cells in efforts to improve their efficiency. How these chemicals interact with each other and the photoelectrode has received surprisingly little attention. Here we report results from a systematic study of two I–/I3– electrolytes and their additives using infrared and Raman spectroscopy together with quantum chemical calculations. In the LiI electrolyte competing interactions between lithium cation and the solvent MPN and the additives TBP, NMBI, and GuSCN were identified. These interactions could inhibit the interaction of lithium ions with the TiO2 surface. It was found that u…

Characterization of used mineral oil condition by spectroscopic techniques

Optical absorption, fluorescence, and quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy have been used to study the degradation of mineral gearbox oil. Samples of used oil were collected from field service. Measured absorption, fluorescence, and quantitative 13C NMR spectra of used oils show characteristic changes from the spectra of a fresh oil sample. A clearly observable, approximately 20-nm blueshift of the fluorescence emission occurs during the early stages of oil use and correlates with changes in intensity of some specific 13C NMR resonance lines. These changes correlate with oil age because of the connection between the blueshift and breaking of the larger conjugated hydrocarbons of oil as a resul…

Excitation energy transfer in isolated chlorosomes from Chloroflexus aurantiacus

Abstract Chlorosomes from green photosynthetic bacteria Chloroflexus aurantiacus have been studied by time-resolved femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The fastest kinetics of 200–300 fs resolved, was interpreted to stem for intra-chlorosomal excitation energy transfer. Energy transfer from the antenna to the baseplate appeared as a major 9.2 ps rise component detected at the baseplate probe wavelength. Excitation energy transfer rates were evaluated for a model chlorosome. Calculated rod to rod, and rods to baseplate rate constants of 200–400 fs and 10–20 ps, respectively, are in accord with the experimental results.

Subpicosecond transient signal spectroscopy of Prodan in dimethylformamide solution.

We report a pump-probe experiment revealing the temporal evolution of subpicosecond evolution of Prodan's excited-state absorption in dimethylformamide. Also, we present calculation of the first spectral moment of this spectral band and estimation of different relaxation components on the subpicosecond time scale.

Energy transfer in LH2 of Rhodospirillum Molischianum, studied by subpicosecond spectroscopy and configuration interaction exciton calculations.

Two color transient absorption measurements were performed on a LH2 complex from Rhodospirillum molischianum by using several excitation wavelengths (790, 800, 810, and 830 nm) and probing in the spectral region from 790 to 870 nm at room temperature. The observed energy transfer time of ∼1.0 ps from B800 to B850 at room temperature is longer than the corresponding rates in Rhodopseudomonas acidophila and Rhodobacter sphaeroides. We observed variations (0.9-1.2 ps) of B800-850 energy transfer times at different B800 excitation wavelengths, the fastest time (0.9 ps) was obtained with 800 nm excitation. At 830 nm excitation the energy transfer to the B850 ring takes place within 0.5 ps. The m…

Femtosecond Transient Absorption Study of the Dynamics of Acrylodan in Solution and Attached to Human Serum Albumin

The excited-state relaxation dynamics of the protein-labeling dye acrylodan in solution and attached to human serum albumin has been studied by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Time-resolved spectra and kinetics of stimulated emission and excited-state absorption in the wavelength region from 400 to 800 nm were studied in ethanol and dimethylformamide. The excited-state solvation dynamics is characterized by multiexponential behavior in both solvents. In ethanol solution, the time dependence of the transient spectra is interpreted in terms of fast solvent relaxation followed by excited-state isomerization of the dye. Acrylodan attached to the protein shows a relaxation compone…

Internal dynamics and energy transfer in dansylated POPAM dendrimers and their eosin complexes.

Internal dynamics of dansylated poly(propyleneamine) dendrimers (POPAM, G1-G4) in solution and excitation energy transfer from dansyls to eosin in POPAM-eosin complexes have been studied by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Combining the results from fluorescence anisotropy and the MD simulation studies suggests three time domains for the internal dynamics of the G3 and G4 generations, about 60 ps for motions of the outer-sphere dansyls, 500-1000 ps for restricted motions of back-folded dansyls, and 1500-2600 ps for the overall rotation. For the smaller generations, the contribution from the restricted motions was not entirely evident. Eosin bi…

Circular and linear dichroism of aggregates of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in 3-methylpentane and paraffin oil.

A circular (CD) and linear dichroism (LD) study of the water adducts of the green plant chlorophylls a (Chl a) and b (Chl b) in hydrocarbon solvents 3-methylpentane and paraffin oil is presented. A strong red shift of the Qy-absorption band from 663 to 746 nm (1678 cm−1) is observed as the water adduct of Chl a is formed. The Chl a-water adduct shows a strong, nonconservative CD signal, which is characterized by a positive peak at 748 nm and two negative peaks at 720 and 771 nm. The maximum CD (AL - AR) is only one order of magnitude smaller than the isotropic absorption maximum. We propose that this exceptionally strong signal is the so-called psi-type CD. The LD spectrum was measured in a…

Anomalous temperature dependence of the IR spectrum of polyalanine

Abstract We have studied the temperature dependence of the infrared spectra of acetanilide (ACN), tryptophan–(alanine) 15 , and tyrosine–(alanine) 15 . No sidebands of the amide-I vibration were observed in the polypeptides, but two anomalous sidebands of the NH stretch with a similar temperature dependence as that of the anomalous amide-I vibrational mode at 1650 cm −1 of crystalline ACN were detected. Fermi resonance combined with the appearance of a red-shifted sideband of NH stretch through coupling to lattice modes seems to explain this band structure. Observations are indicative of excitons that may occur in polypeptides as well as in single crystals of ACN.

CHLOROPHYLL a AGGREGATES IN HYDROCARBON SOLUTION, A PICOSECOND SPECTROSCOPY AND MOLECULAR MODELING STUDY

Chlorophyll a aggregates in 3-methylpentane solution have been studied by using picosecond absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Chlorophyll a aggregates give rise to reversible temperature changes in the absorption and fluorescence spectra. Time-dependent anisotropies were used to estimate rotational correlation times of the aggregates. These were indicative of the sizes of the aggregates. The rotational diffusion of the monomer and the two identified aggregates was hydrodynamic over the viscosity range studied (0.29–1.8 cP). Molecular mechanics calculations were used to predict the minimum energy structures of several chlorophyll a dimers suggested earlier in th…

Evidence for two spectroscopically different dimers of light-harvesting complex I from green plants

A preparation consisting of isolated dimeric peripheral antenna complexes from green plant photosystem I (light-harvesting complex I or LHCI) has been characterized by means of (polarized) steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy at low temperatures. We show that this preparation can be described reasonably well by a mixture of two types of dimers. In the first dimer about 10% of all Q(y)() absorption of the chlorophylls arises from two chlorophylls with absorption and emission maxima at about 711 and 733 nm, respectively, whereas in the second about 10% of the absorption arises from two chlorophylls with absorption and emission maxima at about 693 and 702 nm, respectively. The…

Exciton description of chlorosome to baseplate excitation energy transfer in filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs and green sulfur bacteria.

A description of intra-chlorosome and from chlorosome to baseplate excitation energy transfer in green sulfur bacteria and in filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs is presented. Various shapes and sizes, single and multiwalled tubes, cylindrical spirals and lamellae of the antenna elements mimicking pigment organization in chlorosomes were generated by using molecular mechanics calculations, and the absorption, LD, and CD spectra of these were predicted by using exciton theory. Calculated absorption and LD spectra were similar for all modeled antenna structures; on the contrary, CD spectra turned out to be sensitive to the size and pigment orientations in the antenna. It was observed that, bri…

Standard testing of photovoltaic modules for use in renewable energy education

A photovoltaic laboratory exercise has been devised and used in the educational curriculum of the Renewable Energy Programme at the University of Jyväskylä. The purpose of the experimental tasks is to give students of renewable energy a good understanding of standard testing procedures used in industry for characterising photovoltaic modules and to provide practical skills in sizing simple photovoltaic installations. Herein the experimental set-up, basic theory and measurement procedure are described. The experimental apparatus is simple to assemble and uses both standard laboratory equipment and recycled components. From the experimental results, the tested PV cell had a maximum efficiency…

Halogen bonding—a key step in charge recombination of the dye-sensitized solar cell

The halogen bonding between [Ru(dcbpy)(2)(SCN)(2)] dye and I(2) molecule has been studied. The ruthenium complex forms a stable [Ru(dcbpy)(2)(SCN)(2)]···I(2)·4(CH(3)OH) adduct via S···I interaction between the thiocyanate ligand and the I(2) molecule. The adduct can be seen as a model for one of the key intermediates in the regeneration cycle of the oxidized dye by the I(-)/I(3)(-) electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells.

UV-Laser Plasma Study of Elemental Distributions of Paper Coatings

The potential of a laser-generated plasma method in the analysis of coating coverage, coatweight distribution, and 3D distribution of various pigments of paper coating is described. A XeCl-excimer laser (308 nm) was used to generate microscopic plasma from the paper coating, and delayed detection of silicon and calcium atomic emission line intensities was used as a measure of mass vaporized. Macroscopic areas typically 10 × 10 mm2 at a spatial resolution of 250 μm were studied. With a single laser pulse (0.2 mJ of energy), about 2 ng of coating from a volume of 30 μm in diameter and 2 μm in depth was vaporized. The method seems to be useful for characterization of multilayer coatings.

Electron Transfer from Organic Aminophenyl Acid Sensitizers to Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Films

Electron transfer from three conjugated amino-phenyl acid dyes to titanium and aluminum oxide nanocrystalline films was studied by using transient absorption spectroscopy with sub 20 fs time-resolution over the visible spectral region. All the dyes attached to TiO2 showed long-lived ground state bleach signals indicative of formation of new species. Global analysis of the transient kinetics of the dyes on TiO2 revealed stimulated emission decays of about 40 fs and less than 300 fs assigned to electron injection. The same dyes on Al2O3 substrates displayed long stimulated emission decays (ns) suggesting that electron transfer is blocked in this high band gap semiconductor. For two of the dye…

Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy to as low as 130 nm when a gas-purged spectrograph and ICCD detection are used.

An experimental setup is described for measuring laser-induced plasma emission spectra in the near vacuum UV with a Czerny-Turner spectrograph and intensified charge-coupled device under atmospheric pressure. With a simple gas-purge technique, emission lines down to 130 nm could be recorded. The strongest emission lines of bromine, chlorine, and iodine in the near vacuum UV are easily detected.

Energy transfer to xanthene dyes in dansylated POPAM dendrimers

Abstract Excitation energy transfer (EET) in host–guest complexes of dansylated POPAM dendrimers and xanthene dyes have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. EET from dansyl periphery to guests: rose bengal, eosin, or fluorescein, showed non-exponential behaviour as a result of distribution of donor–acceptor distances. Time constants range from 100 fs to 8 ps, independent of the dye and the dendrimer generation. Experiments suggested that in dendrimers binding more than one guest, EET among the guests becomes effective. Guest–host and guest–guest interactions induce non-radiative relaxation channels making excitation decays of the guests clearly faster in complexes than in solu…

Sensitizer exchange dynamics in air and solvent filled semiconductor nanocavities

Multiple dye binding sites and their exchange in equilibrium in air and solvent filled sensitized titanium oxide nanocavities were identified by 2DIR spectroscopy. Binding geometry and flexibility may influence electron injection efficiency of solar cells.

Exciton Interactions and Femtosecond Relaxation in Chlorophyll a−Water and Chlorophyll a−Dioxane Aggregates

Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in hydrocarbon solution with a small amount of dioxane or water shows red-shifted absorption bands at 686 nm and at 700 nm (dioxane) and at 745 nm (water), indicative of self-organized aggregate structures in solution. To study the relationship between the structure and spectral properties of the aggregates, several one-dimensional model structures of Chl a−dioxane and Chl a−water aggregates were computed by the molecular mechanics method. Three overall structures ranging from stick to a ring shape were energetically favored for the dioxane system. All these structures contain structural heterogeneity that consists of repeating dimers that further form tetramer substru…

A study of electron transfer in Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 and SnO2 films induced by red-wing excitation.

Excited state dynamics and electron transfer from the Ru(dcbpy)2(NCS)2 (RuN3) sensitizer to semiconductor nanoparticles were studied using time-resolved femtosecond absorption spectroscopy. We found that excitation of the red wing of the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer populates the (3)MLCT state directly, both in solution and attached on semiconductor nanoparticle films. Electron injection is slowed down and becomes gradually less efficient as excitation moves towards red from the absorption maximum at 535 nm. At 675 nm the injection is non-exponential and characterized by 5, 30 and 180 ps time constants. The non-exponential electron injection observed is assigned to injection from a…

Suomen liikenteen tulevaisuus : suosituksia hiilineutraalin henkilöliikenteen varmistamiseksi

Dynamic preparation of TiO2 films for fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells

Preparation of nanocrystalline porous titanium dioxide (TiO2) films with roll-to-roll compatible methods was studied. Gravure printing was used for spreading TiO2 paste and paper calendering for pressing TiO2 nanoparticle films. Influence of different preparation methods on performance of fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated. The attained light into electricity conversion efficiency was compared with DSSCs fabricated on conductive plastic substrates by doctor-blading spreading with subsequent static pressing. The latter method achieved a light conversion efficiency as high as 5.1%. The efficiency of the cells with a gravure printed TiO2 film was found to be rather …

Analysis of paper by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy

Abstract Material distributions in paper and paper coatings are important factors which determine the characteristics and quality of paper. We have used laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) to determine various properties of coated and uncoated papers. Depth profiles of double coated papers were determined. Microscopic variations of pigments in a double-coated paper were analyzed. It was observed, that the two coating layers can be distinguished, if they differ enough in composition. Filler distributions of uncoated copier papers were determined. The surface of the paper was studied for five samples containing different amounts of binder in the coating. Lateral contamination in paper an…

Photoinduced interfacial electron injection in RuN3–TiO2 thin films: Resolving picosecond timescale injection from the triplet state of the protonated and deprotonated dyes

Using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy we have studied light-induced electron injection from the sensitizer RuN3 and its partly deprotonated tetrabutylamonium salt to nano-structured TiO2 film. Previous studies have suggested significant differences in electron injection dynamics for these dyes and some results have indicated that aggregation of the sensitizer may lead to slow injection. By measuring transient absorption spectra and kinetics of RuN3 and RuN3-TBA in solution and attached to TiO2 film we show that the electron injection dynamics are very similar for the two forms of the dye and that aggregation has only moderate effects on the electron transfer dynamics. (c) 2008…

Analysis of powdered tungsten carbide hard-metal precursors and cemented compact tungsten carbides using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been applied to the direct analysis of powdered tungsten carbide hard-metal precursors and cemented tungsten carbides. The aim of this work was to examine the possibility of quantitative determination of the niobium, titanium, tantalum and cobalt. The investigated samples were in the form of pellets, pressed with and without binder (powdered silver) and in the form of cemented tungsten carbides. Several lasers and detection systems were utilized.

Electronic States, Absorption Spectrum and Circular Dichroism Spectrum of the Photosynthetic Bacterial LH2 Antenna of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila as Predicted by Exciton Theory and Semiempirical Calculations

A new approach that uses a combination of semiempirical configuration interaction method and exciton theory to calculate electronic energies, eigenstates, absorption spectrum and circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of the LH2 antenna of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila is introduced. A statistical simulation that uses experimental homogeneous line widths was used to account for the inhomogeneous line width of the observed spectrum. Including the effect of orbital overlap of the close-lying pigments of the B850 ring and the effect of the pigment protein interaction in the B800 ring allowed a successful simulation of the experimental absorption and CD spectra of the antenna at room temperature. Two e…

Effects of ligand substitution on the excited state dynamics of the Ru(dcbpy)(CO)2I2 complex

Abstract Spectroscopic evidence suggest [PCCP 3 (2001) 1992] that illumination with visible light of the [trans-I-Ru(dcbpy)(CO)2I2] (dcbpy= 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine) complex in solution induces dissociation of a CO group followed by reorganization of the ligands and attachment of a solvent molecule. In the present study, we report results on excited state dynamics of this ruthenium complex and its photoproduct. Femtosecond transient absorption measurements reveal dominance of excited state absorption of the reactant and the photoproduct [cis-I-Ru(dcbpy)(CO)(Sol)I2] (Sol=ethanol or acetonitrile) in the visible spectral region. The time-resolved measurements for the reactant at 77 K ind…

Structural and Spectroscopic Properties of Mg−Bacteriochlorin and Methyl Bacteriochlorophyllidesa,b,g, andhStudied by Semiempirical, ab Initio, and Density Functional Molecular Orbital Methods

Ab initio HF/6-31G* and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* methods have been used to calculate fully optimized structures of methyl bacteriochlorophyllides a, b, g, and h and magnesium-bacteriochlorin...

Modelling excitonic energy transfer in the photosynthetic unit of purple bacteria

Abstract Molecular mechanics and quantum chemical configuration interaction calculations in combination with exciton theory were used to predict vibronic energies and eigenstates of light harvesting antennae and the reaction centre and to evaluate excitation energy transfer rates in the photosynthetic unit of purple bacteria. Excitation energy transfer rates were calculated by using the transition matrix formalism and exciton basis sets of the interacting antenna systems. Energy transfer rates of 600–800 fs from B800 ring to B850 ring in the LH2 antenna, 3–10 ps from LH2 to LH2 antenna, 2–8 ps from LH2 to LH1 antenna and finally 30–70 ps from LH1 to the reaction centre were obtained. Depend…