0000000001305553
AUTHOR
Pasi Myllyperkiö
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…
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…
Simultaneous non-invasive gas analysis in artificial photosynthesis reactions using rotational Raman spectroscopy
Optimising reactions in artificial photosynthesis research requires screening of many reaction and operation parameters, which is often resource-intense and time-consuming. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a rotational Raman-based spectrometer for non-invasive quantification of several gases (H2, O2, N2, CO, CO2) with short analysis times (15 s), enabling high throughput screening. Furthermore, with this device, reaction progress can be monitored in situ, by real-time simultaneous quantification of multiple gases. We have applied this instrument and developed a method to study the O2 dependency of a prototypic light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction, showcasing the value of this ap…
Relaxation Dynamics of Cr(acac)3 Probed by Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy
Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy is used to probe the dynamics of Cr(acac)3 upon ligand field (400 nm) and charge transfer state (345 nm) excitation. At both pump wavelengths, the ground state absorption bands are strongly bleached at zero delay, and new broad transient absorption bands appear red shifted from the bleached bands. Recovery of ground state bleach is dominated by a fast time constant (15 ps), while a small percentage recovers within 760−900 ps. Despite the extensive studies on Cr(acac)3 photophysics, the fast recovery of the ground state as a major channel is reported here for the first time. As a general result, the present communication emphasizes the great value of ultrafast…
Patterning and tuning of electrical and optical properties of graphene by laser induced two-photon oxidation
Graphene, being an ultrathin, durable, flexible, transparent material with superior conductivity and unusual optical properties, promises many novel applications in electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. For applications in electronics, patterning and modification of electrical properties is very desirable since pristine graphene has no band gap. Here we demonstrate a simple all-optical patterning method for graphene, based on laser induced two-photon oxidation. By tuning the intensity of irradiation and the number of pulses the level of oxidation can be controlled to high precision and, therefore, a band gap can be introduced and electrical and optical properties can be continuously t…
Photodynamics of a Molecular Water-Soluble Nanocluster Identified as Au130(pMBA)50
Photodynamics of a highly monodisperse sample of a water-soluble gold nanocluster tentatively identified as Au130(pMBA)50 (pMBA = p-mercaptobenzoic acid) was studied by mid-IR transient absorption spectroscopy with visible excitation. The observed long-lived excited states (>1 ns) indicate a molecular behavior of the cluster. By combining the transient absorption data with DFT calculation results the observed relaxation dynamics could be fully explained by identifying several relaxation processes involving singlet and triplet manifolds. The results indicate that the cluster may have interesting transient magnetic properties due to a long-lived triplet population.
Time-Resolved Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering of Graphene: Dephasing Dynamics of Optical Phonon.
We report dynamics of the G-mode in graphene probed with time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering measurements. By applying BOXCARS excitation geometry with three different excitation wavelengths, various nonlinear processes can be selectively detected due to energy and momentum conservation and temporal sequence of the pulses. The Raman signal due to resonant coherent excitation of the G-mode shows exponential decay with lifetime of ∼325 ± 50 fs. This decay time is shorter than expected based on the line width of the G-mode in the Raman spectrum. We propose that the unexpectedly short dephasing time is a result of dynamic variation of nonadiabatic coupling of the photoexcited el…
Molecule-like photodynamics of Au102(pMBA)44 nanocluster.
Photophysical properties of a water-soluble cluster Au102(pMBA)44 (pMBA = para-mercaptobenzoic acid) are studied by ultrafast time-resolved mid-IR spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations in order to distinguish between molecular and metallic behavior. In the mid-IR transient absorption studies, visible or near-infrared light is used to electronically excite the sample, and the subsequent relaxation is monitored by studying the transient absorption of a vibrational mode in the ligands. Based on these studies, a complete picture of energy relaxation dynamics is obtained: (1) 0.5-1.5 ps electronic relaxation, (2) 6.8 ps vibrational cooling, (3) intersystem crossing from the low…
Nonlinear photo-oxidation of graphene and carbon nanotubes probed by four wave mixing imaging and spectroscopy (Presentation Recording)
Graphene has high potential for becoming the next generation material for electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. However, spatially controlled modification of graphene is required for applications. Here, we report patterning and controlled tuning of electrical and optical properties of graphene by laser induced non-linear oxidation. We use four wave mixing (FWM) as a key method for imaging graphene and graphene oxide patterns with high sensitivity. FWM produces strong signal in monolayer graphene and the signal is highly sensitive to oxidation providing good contrast between patterned and non-patterned areas. We have also performed photo-oxidation and FWM imaging for air suspended carb…
Making Graphene Luminescent by Direct Laser Writing
Graphene is not intrinsically luminescent, due to a lack of bandgap, and methods for its creation are tricky for device fabrication. In this study, we create luminescent graphene patterns by a simple direct laser writing method. We analyze the graphene using Raman spectroscopy and find that the laser writing leads to generation of line defects after initial formation of point defects. This Raman data enables us to create a model that explains the luminescence by a formation of small domains due to confinement of graphene by line defects, which is conceptually similar to the mechanism of luminescence in graphene quantum dots. peerReviewed
Local photo-oxidation of individual single walled carbon nanotubes probed by femtosecond four wave mixing imaging
Photo-oxidation of individual, air-suspended single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is studied by femtosecond laser spectroscopy and imaging. Individual SWCNTs are imaged by four wave mixing (FWM) microscopy under an inert gas (Ar or N2) atmosphere. When imaging is performed in an ambient air atmosphere, the decay of the FWM signal takes place. Electron microscopy shows that SWCNTs are not destroyed and the process is attributed to photoinduced oxidation reactions which proceed via a non-linear excitation mechanism, when irradiation is performed with ∼30 fs pulses in the visible spectral region (500-600 nm). Photo-oxidation can be localized in specific regions of SWCNTs within optical reso…
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…
Femtosecond four-wave-mixing spectroscopy of suspended individual semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Femtosecond four-wave-mixing (FWM) experiments of individual suspended semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are presented. The chiral indices of the tubes were determined by electron diffraction as (28,14) and (24,14) having diameters of 2.90 and 2.61 nm, respectively. The diameter and semiconducting character of the tubes were additionally confirmed by resonance Raman measurements. The FWM signal showed electronic response from the SWCNTs. The results demonstrate that ultrafast dynamics of individual SWCNTs can be studied by FWM spectroscopies.
Chemical composition of two-photon oxidized graphene
Chemical composition of two-photon oxidized single-layer graphene is studied by micrometer X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Oxidized areas with a size of 2 × 2 μm2 are patterned on graphene by tightly focused femtosecond pulsed irradiation under air atmosphere. The degree of oxidation is controlled by varying the irradiation time. The samples are characterized by four wave mixing (FWM) imaging and Raman spectroscopy/imaging. Micrometer-XPS is used to study local chemical composition of oxidized areas. XPS imaging shows good contrast between oxidized and non-oxidized areas. Gradual oxidation is observed from growth of signals attributed mainly to hydroxyl (Csingle bondOH) and epoxide …
Three-Dimensional Printing of Nonlinear Optical Lenses.
In the current paper, a series of nonlinear optical (NLO) active devices was prepared by utilizing stereolithographic three-dimensional printing technique. Microcrystalline NLO active component, urea, or potassium dihydrogen phosphate was dispersed in a simple photopolymerizable polyacrylate-based resin and used as the printing material to fabricate highly efficient transparent NLO lenses. The nonlinear activity of the printed lenses was confirmed by second-harmonic generation measurements using a femtosecond laser-pumped optical parametric amplifier operating at a wavelength of 1195 nm. The three-dimensional printing provides a simple method to utilize a range of NLO active compounds witho…
Tuning protein adsorption on graphene surfaces via laser-induced oxidation
An approach for controlled protein immobilization on laser-induced two-photon (2P) oxidation patterned graphene oxide (GO) surfaces is described. Selected proteins, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and biotinylated bovine serum albumin (b-BSA) were successfully immobilized on oxidized graphene surfaces, via non-covalent interactions, by immersion of graphene-coated microchips in the protein solution. The effects of laser pulse energy, irradiation time, protein concentration and duration of incubation on the topography of immobilized proteins and consequent defects upon the lattice of graphene were systemically studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. AFM and fluorescence…
Nanoscale probing of the supramolecular assembly in a two‐component gel by near‐field infrared spectroscopy
The design of soft biomaterials requires a deep understanding of molecular self-assembly. We introduce here a nanoscale infrared (IR) spectroscopy study of a two-component supramolecular gel to assess the system´s heterogeneity and supramolecular assembly. In contrast to far-field IR spectroscopy, near-field IR spectroscopy revealed differences in the secondary structures of the gelator molecules and non-covalent interactions at three distinct nano-locations of the gel network. A β-sheet arrangement is dominant in single and parallel fibres with a small proportion of an α-helix present, while the molecular assembly derives from strong hydrogen bonding. However, at the crossing point of two …
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…
Electronic spectroscopy of I2-Xe complexes in solid Krypton
In the present work, we have studied ion-pair states of matrix-isolated I2 with vacuum-UV absorption and UV-vis-NIR emission, where the matrix environment is systematically changed by mixing Kr with Xe, from pure Kr to a more polarizable Xe host. Particular emphasis is put on low doping levels of Xe that yield a binary complex I2–Xe, as verified by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements. Associated with interaction of I2 with Xe we can observe strong new absorption in vacuum-UV, redshifted 2400 cm−1 from the X → D transition of I2. Observed redshift can be explained by symmetry breaking of ion-pair states within the I2–Xe complex. Systematic Xe doping of Kr matrices shows…
Optically Forged Diffraction-Unlimited Ripples in Graphene
In nanofabrication, just as in any other craft, the scale of spatial details is limited by the dimensions of the tool at hand. For example, the smallest details for direct laser writing with far-field light are set by the diffraction limit, which is approximately half of the used wavelength. In this work, we overcome this universal assertion by optically forging graphene ripples that show features with dimensions unlimited by diffraction. Thin sheet elasticity simulations suggest that the scaled-down ripples originate from the interplay between substrate adhesion, in-plane strain, and circular symmetry. The optical forging technique thus offers an accurate way to modify and shape two-dimens…
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…
Electronic spectroscopy of I2–Xe complexes in solid Krypton
In the present work, we have studied ion-pair states of matrix-isolated I(2) with vacuum-UV absorption and UV-vis-NIR emission, where the matrix environment is systematically changed by mixing Kr with Xe, from pure Kr to a more polarizable Xe host. Particular emphasis is put on low doping levels of Xe that yield a binary complex I(2)-Xe, as verified by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements. Associated with interaction of I(2) with Xe we can observe strong new absorption in vacuum-UV, redshifted 2400 cm(-1) from the X → D transition of I(2). Observed redshift can be explained by symmetry breaking of ion-pair states within the I(2)-Xe complex. Systematic Xe doping of Kr ma…
Laser-induced tuning of graphene field-effect transistors for pH sensing
Here we demonstrate, using pulsed femtosecond laser-induced two-photon oxidation (2PO), a novel method of locally tuning the sensitivity of solution gated graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) without sacrificing the integrity of the carbon network of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene. The achieved sensitivity with 2PO was (25 ± 2) mV pH−1 in BIS-TRIS propane HCl (BTPH) buffer solution, when the oxidation level corresponded to the Raman peak intensity ratio I(D)/I(G) of 3.58. Sensitivity of non-oxidized, residual PMMA contaminated GFETs was 20–22 mV pH−1. The sensitivity decreased initially by 2PO to (19 ± 2) mV pH−1 (I(D)/I(G) = 0.64), presumably due to PMMA residue remova…
Revealing lattice disorder, oxygen incorporation and pore formation in laser induced two-photon oxidized graphene
Abstract Laser induced two-photon oxidation has proven to be a reliable method to pattern and control the level of oxidation of single layer graphene, which in turn allows the development of graphene-based electronic and optoelectronic devices with an all-optical method. Here we provide a full structural and chemical description of modifications of air-suspended graphene during the oxidation process. By using different laser irradiation doses, we were able to show via transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy how graphene develops from its pristine form up to a completely oxidized, porous and amorphous carbon layer. Furt…
Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman-scattering measurements of I2 in solid Kr: vibrational dephasing on the ground electronic state at 2.6-32 K.
Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman-scattering (CARS) measurements are carried out for iodine (I2) in solid krypton matrices. The dependence of vibrational dephasing time on temperature and vibrational quantum number v is studied. The v dependence is approximately quadratic, while the temperature dependence of both vibrational dephasing and spectral shift, although weak, fits the exponential form characteristic of dephasing by pseudolocal phonons. The analysis of the data indicates that the frequency of the pseudolocal phonons is approximately 30 cm(-1). The longest dephasing times are observed for v = 2 being approximately 300 ps and limited by inhomogeneous broadening. An increase in…
Nonlinear optical properties of diaromatic stilbene, butadiene and thiophene derivatives
Series of highly polar stilbene (1a–e), diphenylbutadiene (2a–c) and phenylethenylthiophene (3a–c) derivatives were prepared via Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons method with a view to produce new and efficient materials for second harmonic generation (SHG) in the solid-state. The single-crystal X-ray structures of compounds 1–3 reveal extensive polymorphism and a peculiar photodimerization of the 2-chloro-3,4-dimethoxy-4′-nitrostilbene derivative 1a to afford two polymorphs of tetra-aryl cyclobutane 4. The stilbene congeners 2-chloro-3,4-dimethoxy-4′-nitrostilbene (1a·non-centro), 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-3-nitro-4′-nitrostilbene (1b) and 4-dimethylamino-4′-nitrostilbene (1e), as well as 4′-fluoro-4′′-nitr…
Vibrational relaxation of matrix-isolated carboxylic acid dimers and monomers.
Femtosecond mid-IR transient absorption spectroscopy was used to probe the vibrational dynamics of formic acid and acetic acid isolated in solid argon following excitation of the fundamental transition of the carbonyl stretching mode. Carboxylic acids form extremely stable H-bonded dimers, hindering the study of the monomeric species at equilibrium conditions. The low-temperature rare-gas matrix isolation technique allows for a unique control over aggregation enabling the study of the monomer vibrational dynamics, as well as the dynamics of two distinct dimer structures (cyclic and open chain). This study provides insight into the role of the methyl rotor and hydrogen bonding in the vibrati…
Time resolved CARS measurements of I2 in solid Kr
Dephasing is a central concept in condensed phase spectroscopy. It determines how long a system will maintain its coherence. The dephasing time of a system is determined by dynamic intermolecular interactions, and therefore measurements of dephasing time can provide information on interactions and couplings between a molecule and its environment. This chapter illustrates the application of the femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) method to investigate the vibrational dephasing of I 2 in solid krypton. Dephasing of vibrational states between v = 2 and v = 16 is studied in the temperature range T = 2.6–32 K. The low vibrational states show dephasing times on the order of a…
Real-time monitoring of graphene patterning with wide-field four-wave mixing microscopy
The single atom thick two-dimensional graphene is a promising material for various applications due to its extraordinary electronic, optical, optoelectronic, and mechanical properties. The demand for developing graphene based applications has entailed a requirement for development of methods for fast imaging techniques for graphene. Here, we demonstrate imaging of graphene with femtosecond wide-field four-wave mixing microscopy. The method provides a sensitive, non-destructive approach for rapid large area characterization of graphene. We show that the method is suitable for online following of a laser patterning process of microscale structures on single-layer graphene. peerReviewed
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.
Second-harmonic Generation Microscopy of Carbon Nanotubes
We image an individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) by second-harmonic generation (SHG) and transmission electron microscopy and propose that SHG microscopy could be used to probe the handedness of chiral SWNTs.
From Seeds to Islands: Growth of Oxidized Graphene by Two-Photon Oxidation
The mechanism of two-photon induced oxidation of single-layer graphene on Si/SiO2 substrates is studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman microspectroscopy and imaging. AFM imaging of areas oxidized by using a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam shows that oxidation is not homogeneous but oxidized and nonoxidized graphene segregate into separate domains over the whole irradiated area. The oxidation process starts from point-like “seeds” which grow into islands finally coalescing together. The size of islands before coalescence is 30–40 nm, and the density of the islands is on the order of 1011 cm–2. Raman spectroscopy reveals growth of the D/G band ratio along the oxidation. Sha…
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, …
Ultrafast electronic relaxation and vibrational cooling dynamics of Au 144(SC2H4Ph)60 nanocluster probed by transient mid-IR spectroscopy
Energy relaxation dynamics of a gold nanocluster with atomically precise composition, Au144(SC2H4Ph)60, is studied by transient mid-IR spectroscopy. The experiment is designed to simultaneously pro...
Ultrastiff graphene
Graphene has exceptionally high in-plane strength, which makes it ideal for various nanomechanical applications. At the same time, its exceptionally low out-of-plane stiffness makes it also flimsy and hard to handle, rendering out-of-plane structures unstable and difficult to fabricate. Therefore, from an application point of view, a method to stiffen graphene would be highly beneficial. Here we demonstrate that graphene can be significantly stiffened by using a laser writing technique called optical forging. We fabricate suspended graphene membranes and use optical forging to create stable corrugations. Nanoindentation experiments show that the corrugations increase graphene bending stiffn…
Chemically selective imaging of overlapping C-H stretching vibrations with time-resolved coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy.
Chemically selective imaging of spectrally overlapping compounds is studied with a time-resolved, femtosecond approach on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy taking advantage of time-dependent oscillating CARS amplitude which is sensitive to different chemical components at different time points. Chemically selective imaging is demonstrated for composite material of polypropylene (PP) matrix and om-POSS (octamethyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) microparticles having partly overlapping CH stretching vibrations. Inverse Fourier transformation (IFT) was applied to Raman spectra of PP and om-POSS, indicating that the oscillatory structures of the vibrational decays d…
Reduction-oxidation dynamics of oxidized graphene: Functional group composition dependent path to reduction
Micrometer-sized oxidation patterns containing varying composition of functional groups including epoxy, ether, hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, were created in chemical vapor deposition grown graphene through scanning probe lithography and pulsed laser two-photon oxidation. The oxidized graphene films were then reduced by a focused x-ray beam. Through in-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement, we found that the path to complete reduction depends critically on the total oxygen coverage and concentration of epoxy and ether groups. Over the threshold concentrations, a complex reduction-oxidation process involving conversion of functional groups of lower binding energy to higher bindin…
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…
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…
Photoactive Yellow Protein Chromophore Photoisomerizes around a Single Bond if the Double Bond Is Locked
Photoactivation in the Photoactive Yellow Protein, a bacterial blue light photoreceptor, proceeds via photo-isomerization of the double C=C bond in the covalently attached chromophore. Quantum chemistry calculations, however, have suggested that in addition to double bond photo-isomerization, the isolated chromophore and many of its analogues, can isomerize around a single C-C bond as well. Whereas double bond photo-isomerization has been observed with x-ray crystallography, experimental evidence for single bond photo-isomerization is currently lacking. Therefore, we have synthesized a chromophore analogue, in which the formal double bond is covalently locked in a cyclopentenone ring and ca…
Measurement of optical second-harmonic generation from an individual single-walled carbon nanotube
We show that optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) can be observed from individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and, furthermore, allows imaging of individual tubes. Detailed analysis of our results suggests that the structural noncentrosymmetry, as required for SHG, arises from the non-zero chiral angle of the SWCNT. SHG thus has potential as a fast, non-destructive, and simple method for imaging of individual nanomolecules and for probing their chiral properties. Even more, it opens the possibility to optically determine the handedness of individual SWCNTs.
Role of Vibrational Dynamics in Electronic Relaxation of Cr(acac)3
Ultrafast energy relaxation of Cr(acac)3 dissolved in tetrachloroethylene (TCE) is studied by time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy by using electronic and vibrational excitation. After electronic excitation at 400 or 345 nm, the ground state recovers in two time scales: 15 ps (major pathway) and 800 ps (minor pathway), corresponding to fast electronic transition to the ground state and intermediate trapping on the long-lived (2)E state followed by intersystem crossing (ISC) to the ground state. The quantum yield for the fast recovery of the ground state depends on the excitation wavelength, being higher for 345 nm. Vibrational cooling (VC) occurs on the electronic excited states with …
Tuning protein adsorption on graphene surfaces via laser-induced oxidation
An approach for controlled protein immobilization on laser-induced two-photon (2P) oxidation patterned graphene oxide (GO) surfaces is described. Selected proteins, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and biotinylated bovine serum albumin (b-BSA) were successfully immobilized on oxidized graphene surfaces, via non-covalent interactions, by immersion of graphene-coated microchips in the protein solution. The effects of laser pulse energy, irradiation time, protein concentration and duration of incubation on the topography of immobilized proteins and consequent defects upon the lattice of graphene were systemically studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. AFM and fluorescence…
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…
From Seeds to Islands: Growth of Oxidized Graphene by Two-Photon Oxidation
The mechanism of two-photon induced oxidation of single-layer graphene on Si/SiO2 substrates is studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman microspectroscopy and imaging. AFM imaging of areas oxidized by using a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam shows that oxidation is not homogeneous but oxidized and nonoxidized graphene segregate into separate domains over the whole irradiated area. The oxidation process starts from point-like “seeds” which grow into islands finally coalescing together. The size of islands before coalescence is 30–40 nm, and the density of the islands is on the order of 1011 cm–2. Raman spectroscopy reveals growth of the D/G band ratio along the oxidation. Sha…
Photo-induced electron transfer at nanostructured semiconductor–zinc porphyrin interface
Abstract Electron transfer at metal oxide–organic dye interface on ZnO nanorod (ZnOr) templates was studied by femtosecond absorption spectroscopy method. Further confirmation of the electron transfer was obtained from photoelectrical studies. The fastest electron transfer from zinc porphyrin (ZnP) to semiconductor was observed for ZnOr modified by a 5 nm layer of TiO2 (
Shaping graphene with optical forging: from a single blister to complex 3D structures
Properties of graphene, such as electrical conduction and rigidity can be tuned by introducing local strain or defects into its lattice. We used optical forging, a direct laser writing method, under an inert gas atmosphere, to produce complex 3D patterns of single layer graphene. We observed bulging of graphene out of the plane due to defect induced lattice expansion. By applying low peak fluences, we obtained a 3D-shaped graphene surface without either ablating it or deforming the underlying Si/SiO2 substrate. We used micromachining theory to estimate the single-pulse modification threshold fluence of graphene, which was 8.3 mJ cm−2, being an order of magnitude lower than the threshold for…
Multimodal nonlinear imaging of suspended carbon nanotubes using circular polarizations
In this work, multimodal nonlinear microscopy of suspended CNTs using circular polarizations (CP) was reported. Significant variations in the SHG and THG signals of the CNTs between left hand circular polarization (LHCP) and right hand circular polarization (RHCP) were observed. The variations in the nonlinear signals can be associated to the unique properties of the CNTs such as chirality.
Diversity at the nanoscale : laser-oxidation of single-layer graphene affects Fmoc-phenylalanine surface-mediated self-assembly
We report the effects of a laser-oxidized single layer graphene (SLG) surface on the self-assembly of amphiphilic gelator N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanine (Fmoc-Phe) towards an gel–SLG interface. Laser oxidation modulates the levels of hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity on the SLG surface. Atomic force, scanning electron, helium ion and scattering scanning nearfield optical microscopies (AFM, SEM, HIM, s-SNOM) were employed to assess the effects of surface properties on the secondary and tertiary organization of the formed Fmoc-Phe fibres at the SLG–gel interface. S-SNOM shows sheet-like secondary structures on both hydrophobic/hydrophilic areas of SLG and helical or disordered structu…
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…
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…
Background-Free Second-Harmonic Generation Microscopy of Individual Carbon Nanotubes
We use polarized second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to investigate pristine air-suspended carbon nanotubes (CNT). We show that SHG originates from CNT chirality, allowing also different response for the two circular polarizations of fundamental light.
Revealing lattice disorder, oxygen incorporation and pore formation in laser induced two-photon oxidized graphene
Laser induced two-photon oxidation has proven to be a reliable method to pattern and control the level of oxidation of single layer graphene, which in turn allows the development of graphene-based electronic and optoelectronic devices with an all-optical method. Here we provide a full structural and chemical description of modifications of air-suspended graphene during the oxidation process. By using different laser irradiation doses, we were able to show via transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy how graphene develops from its pristine form up to a completely oxidized, porous and amorphous carbon layer. Furthermore, …
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…
Optical Forging of Graphene into Three-Dimensional Shapes
Atomically thin materials, such as graphene, are the ultimate building blocks for nanoscale devices. But although their synthesis and handling today are routine, all efforts thus far have been restricted to flat natural geometries, since the means to control their three-dimensional (3D) morphology has remained elusive. Here we show that, just as a blacksmith uses a hammer to forge a metal sheet into 3D shapes, a pulsed laser beam can forge a graphene sheet into controlled 3D shapes in the nanoscale. The forging mechanism is based on laser-induced local expansion of graphene, as confirmed by computer simulations using thin sheet elasticity theory. peerReviewed
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…
Ultrafast Electronic and Vibrational Energy Relaxation of Fe(acetylacetonate)3 in Solution
Transient mid-infrared spectroscopy is used to probe the dynamics initiated by excitation of ligand-to-metal (400 nm) and metal-to-ligand (345 nm) charge transfer states of FeIII complexed with acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3, where acac stands for deprotonated anion of acetylacetone) in solution. Transient spectra in the 1500-1600 cm-1 range show two broad absorptions red-shifted from the bleach of the nu(CO) (approximately 1575 cm-1) and nu(C=C) (approximately 1525 cm-1) ground state absorptions. Bleach recovery kinetics has a time constant of 12-19 ps in chloroform and tetrachloroethylene and it decreases by 30-40% in a 10% mixture of methanol in tetrachloroethylene. The transient absorptions…
CCDC 2058508: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058507: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058513: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058519: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058512: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058515: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058511: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058516: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058518: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058509: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058514: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058517: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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CCDC 2058510: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
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