EXCITED STATE DYNAMICS OF RETINAL PROTEINS AS STUDIED BY FOURIER TRANSFORM OF OPTICAL ABSORPTION SPECTRUM—II. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF WAVEPACKET PROPAGATION OF RHODOPSIN

Abstract— We theoretically calculated the absolute value of the time correlation function (tcf) of the wavepacket propagation in the excited state using the independent harmonic oscillators model for vibration and compared it with the experimental data obtained by the Fourier transform of optical absorption spectrum (FTOA) of rhodopsin in the preceding paper. We found that the theoretically calculated tcf differs significantly from the FTOA data. This fact indicates that the intrinsic harmonic oscillators model is too crude. We showed that better agreement is obtained between the calculated tcf and the FTOA data if we add an extra mode with low frequency and considerable decay constant which is not observable in the resonance Raman spectra. We also proposed that substantial mode-mixing would take place among normal coordinates of vibrations at the Franck-Condon state of the excited state and would contribute to the very rapid relaxation of vibrational energies.     

Transient vibronic structure in ultrafast fluorescence spectra of photoactive yellow protein

The ultrafast photo-induced dynamics of wild-type photoactive yellow protein and its site-directed mutant of E46Q in aqueous solution was studied at room temperature by femtosecond fluorescence spectroscopy using the optical Kerr-gate method. The vibronic structure appears, depending on the excitation photon energy, in the time-resolved fluorescence spectra just after photoexcitation, which winds with time and disappears on a time scale of sub-picoseconds. This result indicates that the wavepacket is localized in the electronic excited state followed by dumped oscillations and broadening, and also that the initial condition of the wavepacket prepared depending on the excitation photon energy affects much the following ultrafast dynamics in the electronic excited state.     

3-二甲氨基-2-甲基丙烯醛S2激发态结构动力学

采用共振拉曼光谱和完全活性自洽场理论计算研究了3-二甲氨基-2-甲基丙烯醛（DMAMP）光激发到S2（ππ^＊）态后的光物理性能,在B3LYP／6—311＋＋G（d,p）水平计算确定了DMAMP与其三种异构体之间的基态异构化能垒,指认了振动光谱．采用涵盖紫外强吸收带的激光波长,获得了DMAMP在环己烷、乙腈和甲醇溶剂中的A-带共振拉曼光谱,含时密度泛函方法计算确定了该光谱中基频的相对强度,发现振动-电子耦合发生在S2（）态的Franck—Condon区域．CASSCF计算方法确定低单重和三重激发态、势能面锥形交叉点和系间窜跃点的激发能．共振拉曼光谱强度模式分析和CASSCF计算获得了DMAMP的A一带短时结构动力学和其后的衰变动力学表明,C1=06和C2=C3之间的瞬时去共轭效应发生在S2（ππ^＊）态的Franck—Condon区域,激发态电荷重分布机制表明,C3和二甲氨基之间以及C1和C2之间的共轭增强效应发生在波包离开Franck-Condon区域后．C1=06和C2=C3之间的去共轭效应使得-C3=N（CH3）2沿着C2-C3键旋转更加容易,C1-C2之间以及C3和N（CH3）的共轭增强效应使得绕C1-C2和C3-N5旋转变得比较困难．这些表明DMAMP初始结构动力学沿着CI-1（S2／S0）交叉点展开,而沿CI-2（S2／S0）和[CI-3（S2／S0）交叉点展开的几率可以忽略,提出了DMAMP分子受光激发从S2,FC（ππ^＊）经由各锥形交叉点和各系间窜跃点回到S0或T1,min的两个衰变通道。     

PHYTOCHROME INTERMEDIATES IN VIVO-I. EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE, LIGHT INTENSITY, WAVELENGTH AND OXYGEN ON INTERMEDIATE ACCUMULATION

Abstract— Accumulation of weakly absorbing phytochrome intermediates has been demonstrated in Pisum epicotyl tissue under conditions of pigment cycling using a quasi-continuous measuring spectrophotometer. An action spectrum shows 690–700 nm to be the most efficient wavelength range in this process. Difference spectra for the decay of intermediates maintained by 690 nm light show that, if the experiment is done at 0°C, only P_fr is formed. At – 11°C, intermediates decaying to P_r can also be observed. At – 20°C, P_r is produced as well as a pigment with peak absorption at 710nm. Kinetic analysis of intermediate decay at – 11°C reveals that at least two intermediates are maintained by 690 nm light. The level of intermediate maintained by incandescent light at 0°C was 25% higher in air than in nitrogen.     

Excited and ground state vibrational dynamics revealed by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

Broadband two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) can assist in understanding complex electronic and vibrational signatures. In this paper, we use 2DES to examine the electronic structure and dynamics of a long chain cyanine dye (1,1-diethyl-4,4-dicarbocyanine iodide, or DDCI-4), a system with a vibrational progression. Using broadband pulses that span the resonant electronic transition, we measure two-dimensional spectra that show a characteristic six peak pattern from coherently excited ground and excited state vibrational modes. We model these features using a spectral density formalism and the vibronic features are assigned to Feynman pathways. We also examine the dynamics of a particular set of peaks demonstrating anticorrelated peak motion, a signature of oscillatory wavepacket dynamics on the ground and excited states. These dynamics, in concert with the general structure of vibronic two-dimensional spectra, can be used to distinguish between pure electronic and vibrational quantum coherences.     

Early time hydrogen-bonding dynamics of photoexcited coumarin 102 in hydrogen-donating solvents: theoretical study

To study the early time hydrogen-bonding dynamics of chromophore in hydrogen-donating solvents upon photoexcitation, the infrared spectra of the hydrogen-bonded solute-solvent complexes in electronically excited states have been calculated using the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method. The hydrogen-bonding dynamics in electronically excited states can be widely monitored by the spectral shifts of some characteristic vibrational modes involved in the formation of hydrogen bonds. In this study, we have demonstrated that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between coumarin 102 (C102) and hydrogen-donating solvents are strengthened in the early time of photoexcitation to the electronically excited state by theoretically monitoring the stretching modes of C=O and H-O groups. This is significantly contrasted with the ultrafast hydrogen bond cleavage taking place within a 200-fs time scale upon electronic excitation, proposed in many femtosecond time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy experiments. The transient hydrogen bond strengthening behaviors in excited states of chromophores in hydrogen-donating solvents, which we have demonstrated here for the first time, may take place widely in many other systems in solution and are very important to explain the fluorescence-quenching phenomena associated with some radiationless deactivation processes, for example, the ultrafast solute-solvent intermolecular electron transfer and the internal conversion process from the fluorescent state to the ground state.     

Size-dependent dynamics in excited states of gold clusters: from oscillatory motion to photoinduced melting

Femtosecond time resolved photoelectron spectroscopy in combination with direct ab initio molecular dynamics "on the fly" based on density functional theory has been used to study the relaxation dynamics of optically excited states in small mass selected anionic gold clusters (Au(n) (-); n = 5-8). The nature of the dynamics strongly depends on the cluster size and structure. Oscillatory wavepacket motion (Au(5)(-)), a long lived excited state (Au(6)(-)), as well as photoinduced melting (Au(7)(-),Au(8)(-)) is observed in real time. This illustrates nonscalable properties of excited states in clusters in the size regime, in which each atom counts.     

PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF RETINOCHROME

Abstract— Retinochrome is a photopigment found in the visual cells of cephalopods. It has been considered to act as a supplier of the 11- cis -retinal required for synthesis of rhodopsin, because its all-trans chromophore is isomerized to 11- cis form in the light. Light and thermal reactions of squid retinochrome were investigated by low-temperature spectrophotometry.
On irradiation with green light at liquid-nitrogen temperature, retinochrome (λ_max 496 nm, – 190°C) is converted mainly to an intermediate lumiretinochrome (λ_max 475 nm, – 190°C), its chromophore being changed to 11- cis -retinal. On irradiation with blue light at - 190°C, retinochrome is changed to a photosteady–state mixture (λ_max 487 nm, – 190°C) composed mainly of retinochrome and lumiretinochrome, since lumiretinochrome is partially regenerated back to retinochrome. Similarly, irradiation of lumiretinochrome with blue light also results in the same photosteady-state mixture, which can be completely reverted to lumiretinochrome on re-irradiation with green light.
Lumiretinochrome is stable at a wide range of temperatures from – 190°C to about – 20°C. Above – 20°C, it is further converted, thermally, into metaretinochrome (λ_max 470 nm), which is the same bleached product as has been observed on irradiation of retinochrome at room temperatures. Thus, the light-bleaching process of retinochrome is rather simple compared with that of rhodopsin.     

Photodissociation and electronic spectroscopy of [Re(H)(CO)(3)(H-dab)] (H-dab=1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene): quantum wavepacket dynamics based on ab initio potentials

The photodissociation dynamics of [Re(H)(CO)(3)(H-dab)] (H-dab=1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene) were studied by means of wavepacket propagations on CASSCF/MR-CCI potentials calculated for the electronic ground state and low-lying excited states as a function of two coordinates, q(a) and q(b), that correspond to the Re-H bond homolysis and to the axial CO loss, respectively. The theoretical absorption spectrum is characterized by two bands, one intense peak centered at lambda=500 nm (21,000 cm(-1)) and one broad band centered at 310 nm (32,500 cm(-1)). The visible band was assigned to the low-lying metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) states with a main contribution of the a(1)A'-->c(1)A' transition corresponding to the 3d(xz)-->pi*(dab) excitation. The second band calculated in the UV energy domain was assigned to the d(1)A' (sigma(Mn-H)-->pi*(dab)) state corresponding to a sigma-bond-to-ligand charge-transfer (SBLCT) state. The photodissociation dynamics of the low-lying (1)MLCT and (3)SBLCT states following irradiation in the visible energy domain was simulated by wavepacket propagation on the two-dimensional diabatic potentials V(q(a), q(b)) coupled by the spin-orbit. In contrast to what was found for the manganese analogue, the (1)MLCT state is nonreactive and a rather slow (beyond the ps time scale), nontotal and indirect homolysis of the Re-H bond occurs through (1)MLCT-->(3)SBLCT intersystem crossing.     

FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME AND QUANTUM YIELD OF PHENYLALANINE AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS. TEMPERATURE AND CONCENTRATION EFFECTS

Abstract— –The influence of concentration and temperature on the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime (measured by a monophoton technique) of phenylalanine is studied in neutral aqueous solutions (8 × 10^-4-10^-1 M ) over the temperature range 0–70°C. The rate constants for emission, internal conversion and intersystem crossing are evaluated and show that both non radiative processes contribute efficiently to the deactivation of the singlet state. Evidence for excited dimer formation at high concentration is presented. The binding energy of excimers was found to be 0.19 e V.     

PHOTOREACTION OF THE ACIDIFIED FORM OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN AND ITS 9-CIS DERIVATIVE IN PURPLE MEMBRANE AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Abstract— The photoreaction of the acidified form of bacteriorhodopsin and its 9-cis derivative was studied by low temperature spectroscopy.
A short exposure of the acidified form of bacteriorhodopsin, which was prepared by adding 2 m M HC1 to purple membrane suspension in 67% glycerol at 0°C, to red light at – 72°C resulted in the blue-shift of the spectrum. The feature of the shift was very similar to that accompanied by the formation of stable 9- cis acidified form of bacteriorhodopsin at 0°C, but only 13- cis - and all- trans -retinals were found in the extract from this product. No blue-shifted product was found on irradiation at – 190°C.
Irradiation of the 9- cis form of acidified bacteriorhodopsin at -72°C with blue light caused the isomerization of its 9- cis -retinylidene chromophore to 13- cis and all- trans forms without a significant spectral change. It became greater only after the sample was warmed above – 24°C. These results indicate the presence of the light-induced product which has trans configuration on the 9-10 double bond and exhibits the 9- cis type spectrum.     

Wavepacket Propagation in the Determination of Microscopic Eigenenergies: I: The Spectral Method

Examining the relationship between chemical structure and dynamics should be fundamental to the undergraduate study of microscopic systems. With this in mind wavepacket propagation, which is traditionally used in application to dynamical problems, is used here as the foundation for determining eigenenergies. The system is propagated in space and time from an initial wavepacket as in a traditional dynamical study. We then proceed to determine eigenenergies from the appearance of resonances in a spectrum of energies that is generated from the spatial projection of the wavepacket onto the initial wavepacket. Application of the spectral method is made to a classic electronic structure problem; resonances are observed at energies which match the known energy structure of the problem. Finally, the relevance of wavepacket propagation to the elucidation of structure and dynamics at the undergraduate level is discussed.     

Ultrafast dynamics of metal complexes of tetrasulphonated phthalocyanines

A promising material in medicine, electronics, optoelectronics, electrochemistry, catalysis, and photophysics, tetrasulphonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcS(4)), is investigated by means of steady-state and time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopies. Absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy indicate that AlPcS(4) is essentially monomeric. Spectrally resolved pump-probe data are recorded on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. The nature of these fast processes and pathways of the competing relaxation processes from the initially excited electronic states in aqueous and organic (dimethyl sulfoxide) solutions are discussed. The decays and bleaching recovery have been fitted in the ultrafast window (0-10 ps) and later time window extending to nanoseconds (0-1 ns). While the excited-state dynamics have been found to be sensitive to the solvent environment, we were able to show that the fast dynamics is described by three time constants in the ranges of 115-500 fs, 2-25 ps, and 150-500 ps. We were able to ascribe these three time constants to different processes. The shortest time constants have been assigned to vibrational wavepacket dynamics. The few picosecond components have been assigned to vibrational relaxation in the excited electronic states. Finally, the 150-500 ps components represent the decay from S(1) to the ground state. The experimental and theoretical treatment proposed in this paper provides a basis for a substantial revision of the commonly accepted interpretation of the Soret transition (B transition) that exists in the literature.     

Theoretical studies of the potential energy surface and wavepacket dynamics of the Li3 system

The three-dimensional (3D) potential energy surface of the ground state of Li₃ was determined by the multireference configuration interaction method. The vibrational motions and pseudorotation were investigated by a 3D time-dependent wavepacket formalism. The analytical expression of the 3D surface is given and the results of vibrational analyses at several critical points are presented. The low-lying excited states of Li₃ were examined for the C _{2 v} structure and the vertical and adiabatic excitation energies were calculated. The ground and singlet excited states of Li₂ were calculated and their spectroscopic constants compare well with the experimental values. A 3D wavepacket calculation was performed for simulations of the stimulated emission pumping spectrum in which the A state was taken as an intermediate. The recurrences of the autocorrelation functions were characterized by classical trajectory calculations. The autocorrelation functions obtained by wavepacket propagation are reproduced well by the accumulation of the classical trajectories in the short-time region. Received: 2 July 1998 / Accepted: 3 September 1998 / Published online: 8 February 1999     

PHOTODICHROISM OF RHODOPSIN SOLUTIONS AT -196°C

Abstract— The photodichroism of a system of randomly oriented, bleachable pigment molecules, rigidly fixed in an inert transparent matrix was investigated theoretically. A formula was derived for the photochemical equilibrium reaction between three pigments, N ₁⇆ N ₂⇆ N ₃ in the case that the absorption ellipsoids of the pigments are rotationally symmetric and their symmetry axes coincide. The formula was applied to the dichroism induced by plane polarized light of different wavelengths in an aqueous rhodopsin-glycerol mixture at –196°C. It was found that the absorption ellipsoids of this visual pigment, its analogue, isorhodopsin, and its first bleaching product, prelumirhodopsin, are elongated with an apparent axial ratio of about 5. It was concluded that the light absorbing properties of these pigments cannot be described by a single transition moment vector (linear absorber). The absolute value of the quantum efficiency of the conversion of rhodopsin to prelumirhodopsin was shown to be approximately equal to the quantum efficiency of bleaching rhodopsin at room temperature. Some evidence was obtained that indicates that the relative quantum efficiencies of the rhodopsin system at – 196°C may be wavelength dependent.     

Elastic and charge transfer processes in H+ + CO collisions

Proton and hydrogen atom time-of-flight spectra in collision energy range of E(trans) = 9.5-30 eV show that the endoergic charge transfer process in the H+ + CO system is almost an order of magnitude less probable than the elastic scattering [G. Niedner-Schatteburg and J. P. Toennies, Adv. Chem. Phys. LXXXII, 553 (1992)]. Ab initio computations at the multireference configuration interaction level have been performed to obtain the ground- and several low-lying excited electronic state potential energy curves in three different molecular orientations namely, H+ approaching the O-end and the C-end (collinear), and H+ approaching the CO molecule in perpendicular configuration with fixed CO internuclear distance. Nonadiabatic coupling terms between the ground electronic state (H+ + CO) and the three low-lying excited electronic states (H + CO+) have been computed and the corresponding diabatic potentials have been obtained. A time-dependent wavepacket dynamics study is modeled first involving only the ground and the first excited states and then involving the ground and the three lowest excited states at the collision energy of 9.5 eV. The overall charge transfer probability have been found to be approximately 20%-30% which is in qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.     

Coherent nuclear wavepacket motions in ultrafast excited-state intramolecular proton transfer: sub-30-fs resolved pump-probe absorption spectroscopy of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline in solution

The dynamics of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline (10-HBQ) and the associated coherent nuclear motion were investigated in solution by femtosecond absorption spectroscopy. Sub-picosecond transient absorption measurements revealed spectral features of the stimulated emission and absorption of the keto excited state (the product of the reaction). The stimulated emission band appeared in the 600-800-nm region, corresponding to the wavelength region of the steady-state keto fluorescence. It showed successive temporal changes with time constants of 350 fs and 8.3 ps and then disappeared with the lifetime of the keto excited state (260 ps). The spectral feature of the stimulated emission changed in the 350-fs dynamics, which was likely assignable to the intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution in the keto excited state. The 8.3-ps change caused a spectral blue shift and was attributed to the vibrational cooling process. The excited-state absorption was observed in the 400-600-nm region, and it also showed temporal changes characterized by the 350-fs and 8.3-ps components. To examine the coherent nuclear dynamics (nuclear wavepacket motion) in excited-state 10-HBQ, we carried out pump-probe measurements of the stimulated emission and absorption signals with time resolution as good as 27 fs. The obtained data showed substantially modulated signals due to the excited-state vibrational coherence up to a delay time of several picoseconds after photoexcitation. This means that the vibrational coherence created by photoexcitation in the enol excited state is transferred to the product. Fourier transform analysis indicated that four frequency components in the 200-700-cm(-1) region contribute to the oscillatory signal, corresponding to the coherent nuclear motions in excited-state 10-HBQ. Especially, the lowest-frequency mode at 242 cm(-1) is dephased significantly faster than the other three modes. This observation was regarded as a manifestation that the nuclear motion of the 242-cm(-1) mode is correlated with the structural change of the molecule associated with the reaction (the reaction coordinate). The 242-cm(-1) mode observed in excited-state 10-HBQ was assigned to a vibration corresponding to the ground-state vibration at 243 cm(-1) by referring to the results of resonance Raman measurements and density functional calculations. It was found that the nuclear motion of this lowest-frequency mode involves a large displacement of the OH group toward the nitrogen site as well as in-plane skeletal deformation that assists the oxygen and nitrogen atoms to come closer to each other. We discuss the importance of the nuclear wavepacket motion on a multidimensional potential-energy surface including the vibrational coordinate of the low-frequency modes.     

Unraveling Vibrational Wavepacket Dynamics using Femtosecond Ion Yield Spectroscopy and Photoelectron Imaging

Time-resolved photoionization is a powerful experimental approach to unravel the excited state dynamics in isolated polyatomic molecules. Depending on species of the collected signals, different methods can be performed: time-resolved ion yield spectroscopy (TR-IYS) and time-resolved photoelectron imaging (TR-PEI). In this review, the essential concepts linking photoionization measurement with electronic structure are presented, together with several important breakthroughs in experimentally distinguishing the oscillating wavepacket motion between different geometries. We illustrate how femtosecond TR-IYS and TR-PEI are employed to visualize the evolution of a coherent vibrational wavepacket on the excited state surface.     

Vibrational Relaxation in beta-Carotene Probed by Picosecond Stokes and Anti-Stokes Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

Picosecond time-resolved Stokes and anti-Stokes resonance Raman spectra of all-trans-beta-carotene are obtained and analyzed to reveal the dynamics of excited-state (S(1)) population and decay, as well as ground-state vibrational relaxation. Time-resolved Stokes spectra show that the ground state recovers with a 12.6 ps time constant, in agreement with the observed decay of the unique S(1) Stokes bands. The anti-Stokes spectra exhibit no peaks attributable to the S(1) (2A(g) (-)) state, indicating that vibrational relaxation in S(1) must be nearly complete within 2 ps. After photoexcitation there is a large increase in anti-Stokes scattering from ground-state modes that are vibrationally excited through internal conversion. The anti-Stokes data are fit to a kinetic scheme in which the C=C mode relaxes in 0.7 ps, the C-C mode relaxes in 5.4 ps and the C-CH(3) mode relaxes in 12.1 ps. These results are consistent with a model for S(1)-S(0) internal conversion in which the C=C mode is the primary acceptor, the C-C mode is a minor acceptor, and the C-CH(3) mode is excited via intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution.     

SOLVENT EFFECTS ON THE TAUTOMERIZATION OF 5'-DEOXYPYRIDOXAL. A PHOTOPHYSICAL STUDY

Abstract— Absorption and fluorescence spectra of 5'-deoxypyridoxal (DPL) in various pure solvents and mixtures were recorded both at room temperature and over the range10–65°C. The areas under the absorption bands were analyzed to obtain the mole fraction (f_N, f_z) of two tautomers (the zwitterionic, Z, and neutral, N, forms) in the ground state. The following spectral parameters were determined from the fluorescence spectra: Stokes shift (Δ v ), fluorescence quantum yield of the neutral form (Q_N), fluorescence ratio of the neutral to the zwitterionic form (ø_N/ø_Z) and the rate constant of tautomerization ( k ₁) from Z to N in the excited state. Some of these parameters (f_N, Δ v , Q_N, k ₁) were found to depend on the proton donor character of the solvent, whereas others (ø_N/ø_Z) depended on its dipole moment. Thus, the absorption and fluorescence spectra of DPL allow one to obtain information on the polarity and the concentration of –OH groups on its environment.