Use of Oxygen Gas in the Low-Temperature Time-Resolved EPR Experiments

A large transient microwave signal seen in low-temperature time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) experiments is attributed to the presence of nitrogen as a flushing gas, when pulses of a 266- or 248-nm laser light is used for photolysis. We report here that, using oxygen as the flushing gas, this transient can be largely removed. Based on the studies using 355 nm laser light and also nitrous oxide as the flushing gas, photoelectron emission from the inner walls of the microwave cavity is proposed to be the origin of this transient, and the electron attachment to oxygen gas is the mechanism of its removal. Using oxygen as the flushing gas, recording of TREPR spectra at low temperatures as well as very close to the laser pulse of 266 or 248 nm is possible.     

Solvent- and Wavelength-Dependent Photochemistry of 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone Studied by TREPR: Implications for Commercial Sunless Tanning Lotions

1,3-Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is the active ingredient in commercial personal care products for the production of a “sunless” tan on human skin. The DHA molecule is the simplest ketose sugar, and it reacts with amino acids on the surface of the skin in a biochemical pathway known as the Maillard reaction. However, DHA is known to be photochemically active and will produce free radicals with high quantum yield under ultraviolet (UV) excitation. We report here a detailed study of the free radicals produced by DHA photolysis as a function of wavelength and solvent. In contrary to the previous optical and steady-state electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, X-band time-resolved (TR)-EPR spectra reveal a complex reactivity pattern: Norrish I α-cleavage is observed in almost all cases, but when good H-atom donors are present, H-atom abstraction by the solvent is observed. Changing the wavelength of excitation from 308 to 248 nm can reverse this observation. Comparison of TREPR spectra obtained from commercially available sunless tanning lotions shows that many free radicals, including those from DHA, can be detected using direct detection TREPR upon photolysis of the lotions themselves. The results suggest that caution should be observed in the use of these products in conjunction with UV exposure.     

二维原子晶体的低电压扫描透射电子显微学研究

二维原子晶体材料,如石墨烯和过渡金属硫族化合物等,具有不同于其块体的独特性能,有望在二维半导体器件中得到广泛应用.晶体中的结构缺陷对材料的物理化学性能有直接的影响,因此研究结构缺陷和局域物性之间的关联是当前二维原子晶体研究中的重要内容,需要高空间分辨率的结构研究手段.由于绝大部分二维原子晶体在高能量高剂量的电子束辐照下容易发生结构损伤,利用电子显微方法对二维原子晶体缺陷的研究面临诸多挑战.低电压球差校正扫描透射电子显微(STEM)技术的发展,一个主要目标就是希望在不损伤结构的前提下对二维原子晶体的本征结构缺陷进行研究.在STEM下,多种不同的信号能够被同步采集,包括原子序数衬度高分辨像和电子能量损失谱等,是表征二维原子晶体缺陷的有力工具,不但能对材料的本征结构进行单原子尺度的成像和能谱分析,还能记录材料结构的动态变化.通过调节电子束加速电压和电子辐照剂量,扫描透射电子显微镜也可以作为电子刻蚀二维原子晶体材料的平台,用于加工新型纳米结构以及探索新型二维原子晶体的原位制备.本综述主要以本课题组在石墨烯和二维过渡金属硫族化合物体系的研究为例,介绍低电压扫描透射电子显微学在二维原子晶体材料研究中的实际应用.     

Time-resolved EPR studies on magnetic interactions between excited triplet (tetraphenylporphinato) zinc and doublet nitroxide radical

By time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR), four (tetraphenylporphinato) zinc (ZnTPP) complexes coordinated by an axial ligand containing a nitroxide radical (NRX; X=4, 5, 8, and 10, denotes the bond number from zinc to nitroxide nitrogen) have been studied in terms of magnetic interactions between the photoexcited triplet state of ZnTPP and NRX. The TREPR spectrum of ZnTPP coordinated by NR10 is almost the same as the one of ZnTPP coordinated by pyridine, indicating that the electron exchange interaction,J, between ZnTPP and the doublet nitroxide is negligibly small. On the other hand, TREPR spectra of the NR4 and NR5 complexes are assigned to the Q₁ state constituted by the ZnTPP and the nitroxide radical. In the case of the ZnTPP-NR8 complex, both T₁ and Q₁ TREPR signals are seen, which may originate from two conformations or degenerate T₁ states of ZnTPP. This EPR study is useful for understanding the photophysical and photochemical properties of chromophores.     

Novel intramolecular electron transfer in axial bis(terpyridoxy)phosphorus(V) porphyrin studied by time-resolved EPR spectroscopy

Laser flash-induced spin-polarized transient electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra for bis(terpyridoxy)phosphorus(V) porphyrin in a nematic liquid crystal isotropic and in frozen solution are presented. At room temperature, two sequential spin-polarized TREPR spectra are observed. The first is consistent with the triplet state of a radical pair, while the later is assigned to the triplet state of the porphyrin formed by charge recombination. On the basis of the spectroscopic and redox properties of the terpyridine and porphyrin moieties it is proposed that electron transfer from the terpyridine to the excited phosphorus(V) porphyrin occurs. The lifetime of the radical pair is estimated to be of about 175 ns. At low temperature, the radical pair spectrumis no longer observed and the spin polarization pattern of the porphyrin triplet is dramatically different. This behavior is explained by postulating that the electron transfer is inhibited at low temperature because molecular motion is required to stabilize the radical pair. It is proposed that in the absence of this stabilization, the porphyrin triplet state is populated via spin-orbit coupling-mediated intersystem crossing from the excited singlet state.     

Time-resolved EPR spectra of a photoexcited phenanthrene-linked copper(II)-free-base porphyrin dimer: An intermediate-coupling case in a triplet-doublet spin system

Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra are presented for a phenanthrene-linked copper(II)-free-base porphyrin dimer. In the lowest electronic excited state, the free-base half is in the (π, π*) triplet state and the copper-porphyrin half is in the doublet ground state due to the copper(II) spin. Because of the interaction between the triplet and doublet spins, the excited state of the dimer is described as a coupled triplet-doublet pair state. By choosing the excitation wavelength, this coupled state is produced via either the intersystem crossing within the free base or the energy transfer from the excited state of the copper porphyrin. The observed TREPR spectra show very large spectral widths compared to that of the triplet state in the free-base monomer. In addition, there is a prominent absorptive band in the center of the spectra regardless of the generation pathway. These features can be interpreted as characteristic properties in an intermediate-coupling case, where the degree of the triplet and doublet mixing largely depends on the molecular orientation relative to the magnetic field.     

Electron Spin Polarization of Photo-Excited Copper Coproporphyrin I: From Monomers to Dimers

The results of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and transient EPR (TREPR) of copper complexes of coproporphyrin I in different solvents before and after the laser pulse photo-excitation have been presented. Continuous-wave EPR spectra of the CuCPP-1 complex in o-terphenyl indicate the presence of only monomer fragments, while in the solution of the chloroform and isopropanol mixture, the complexes dimerize and the amount of dimers is five times larger than that of monomer complexes. Parameters describing EPR spectra of monomer and dimer CuCPP-1 complexes have been determined. It was established that the fine structure tensor of the dimer complex is rotated with respect to the g-tensor, which coincides with the tensor of monomer complexes. TREPR spectra of CuCPP-1 complexes in o-terphenyl and in the chloroform and isopropanol mixture after the laser photo-excitation are mainly due to spin-polarized ground states of monomer and dimer complexes, respectively. The TREPR spectra of the monomer CuCPP-1 show the emissive spin-polarized signal of the ground state. For dimer fragments, the net polarization is observed in the form of absorption and there is a small contribution from the multiplet polarization, which decays fast in time. The time dependence of TREPR of CuCPP-1 complexes in the chloroform and isopropanol mixture is described with allowance for these contributions from the ground state of the dimer and the contribution from the ground state of the monomer, which is manifested at larger times. Differences in the spin polarization of ground states and their possible origin are discussed.     

Multifrequency time-resolved EPR (9.5GHz and 95GHz) on covalently linked porphyrin-quinone model systems for photosynthetic electron transfer: effect of molecular dynamics on electron spin polarization

Covalently linked porphyrin–quinone model systems for photosynthetic electron transfer were examined by using time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) at intermediate magnetic field and microwave frequency (0.34T/9.5GHz, X-band) and high field and frequency (3.4T/95GHz, W-band). The paramagnetic transients studied were the light-induced spin-correlated radical pair states of the donor–acceptor complex in polar solvents below the melting point and in the soft glass phase of a liquid crystal. It is shown that the systems form strongly exchange-coupled radical pairs, whose TREPR lineshapes are determined mainly by fast electron recombination together with both spin–lattice relaxation and modulation of the exchange interaction. Below the melting point the spin–lattice relaxation rate naturally slows down, but that of the spin on the quinone site is still of the order of 10⁶ s^-1. Most probably this is due to contributions from spin–rotation interaction, and dependent on the molecular orientation with respect to the magnetic field. This relaxation anisotropy is related to anisotropic motion of the quinone site in the solvent cage. The results allow conclusions to be drawn concerning the molecular dynamics and flexibility of the systems. To yield long-lived radical pair states that would mimic photosynthetic electron transfer, the two mechanisms described, modulation of exchange and spin–rotation interactions, have to be suppressed by reducing the molecular flexibility of the complex.     

Development of biomimetic catalytic oxidation methods and non-salt methods using transition metal-based acid and base ambiphilic catalysts

This review focuses on the development of ruthenium and flavin catalysts for environmentally benign oxidation reactions based on mimicking the functions of cytochrome P-450 and flavoenzymes, and low valent transition-metal catalysts that replace conventional acids and bases. Several new concepts and new types of catalytic reactions based on these concepts are described. (Communicated by Ryoji Noyori, M.J.A.).     

Overview of the current spectroscopy effort on the Livermore electron beam ion traps

An overview is given of the current spectroscopic effort on the Livermore electron beam ion trap facilities. The effort focuses on four aspects: spectral line position, line intensity, temporal evolution, and line shape. Examples of line position measurements include studies of the K-shell transitions in heliumlike Kr³⁴⁺ and the 2s-2p intrashell transitions in lithiumlike Th⁸⁷⁺ and U⁸⁹⁺, which provide benchmark values for testing the theory of relativistic and quantum electrodynamical contributions in high-Z ions. Examples of line intensity measurements are provided by measurements of the electron-impact excitation and dielectronic recombination cross sections of the heliumlike transition-metal ions Ti²⁰⁺ through Co²⁵⁺. A discussion of radiative lifetime measurements of metastable levels in heliumlike ions is given to illustrate our time-resolved spectroscopy techniques in the microsecond range. We also present a measurement of the spectral lineshape that illustrates the very low ion temperatures that can be achieved in an EBIT.     

Time-Resolved EPR Spectra of Photoexcited Copper Porphyrin

Photoinduced spin-polarized transient electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of copper 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3-pyridyl)porphyrin (3PyNCu) in the frozen solution have been observed in the X-band. The time evolution and the temperature dependence of the spectra have been studied. The effect of molecular oxygen in the frozen solution on the polarization pattern has also been examined. The magnetic resonance parameters of the ground state of 3PyNCu have been obtained by comparing the experimental continuous-wave and echo-detected EPR spectra with the numerical computations. The magnetic resonance parameters of the excited states and the photoinduced polarizations have been investigated by time-resolved EPR (TREPR) spectroscopy and numerical analysis. The experimental spectra have been considered as a sum of the polarized spectra of the ground and excited states. Our analysis confirmed that the TREPR spectra consisted of two main patterns: the enhanced signal from the ground state and the multiplet contribution belonging to the excited quartet state.     

Frequency dependence of microwave-assisted electron-transfer chemical reactions

In this paper, the electron transfer reactions in the microwave field are studied. A classical theory is developed for a mix of reagents and polar frequency-dispersive and lossy solvent filling vessels excited by microwaves. These reactors are described by a system of non-linear partial self-consistent differential equations for non-stationary microwave field, heat and liquid dynamics, and chemical molecular kinetics. A particular solution of this system is considered for the isothermic electron-transfer reactions in the microwave field varying its frequency with the calculation of the normalised Marcus rate coefficient. It is found that for the small normalised reaction free energy, the chemical reactions are supported by microwaves in a wide frequency band with an increased value of the exponent in the Marcus rate coefficient. At higher values of this energy, these reactions are driven only by conventional microwave heating. The restrictions for the given theory are reviewed, and further experimental and semi-classical and quantum-mechanical studies are found essential for practical applications of these findings.     

Soft x-ray spectroscopy for probing electronic and chemical states of battery materials

The formidable challenge of developing high-performance battery system stems from the complication of battery operations, both mechanically and electronically. In the electrodes and at the electrode–electrolyte interfaces, chemical reactions take place with evolving electron states. In addition to the extensive studies of material synthesis, electrochemical, structural, and mechanical properties, soft x-ray spectroscopy provides unique opportunities for revealing the critical electron states in batteries. This review discusses some of the recent soft x-ray spectroscopic results on battery binder,transition-metal based positive electrodes, and the solid-electrolyte-interphase. By virtue of soft x-ray's sensitivity to electron states, the electronic property, the redox during electrochemical operations, and the chemical species of the interphases could be fingerprinted by soft x-ray spectroscopy. Understanding and innovating battery technologies need a multimodal approach, and soft x-ray spectroscopy is one of the incisive tools to probe the chemical and physical evolutions in batteries.     

Polarization dependence of L- and M-edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering in transition-metal compounds

The resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) cross section at the L and M edges of transition-metal compounds is studied using an effective scattering operator. The intensities of the elastic peak and for spin-flip processes are derived. It is shown how the polarization dependence can be used to select transitions. Comparisons are made with experiment. A detailed analysis of the polarization and angular dependence of L- and M-edge RIXS for divalent copper compounds, such as the high-Tc superconductors, is given.     

Charge Movement through Electrochromic Thin-Film Tungsten Trioxide

A detailed survey is given of the models devised to describe the kinetics of charge movement, both electronic and ionic, through thin-film tungsten trioxide WO₃ during either reduction or oxidation. The principal models are those of Faughnan and Crandall, Green, Ingram Duffy and Monk, and of Bohnke. Adjuncts and adaptations of these models are discussed also. The inherent assumptions and kinetic details of each model are outlined, and comparisons made both between each model, and with additional data from the extensive literature on WO₃ and other solid electrochromes. Because thin-film WO3 is electrochromic, much additional information can be gleaned from optical data regarding the electro-coloration and electro-bleaching reactions, as optical effects allow an additional ‘probe’ of the physicochemical processes occurring within the solid-state WO₃ during electrochemical change. Many of the implications of this work may also be applied to charge transport through films of other transition-metal oxides—electrochromic or otherwise—so many other electrochromic metal oxides are also mentioned and discussed.     

Spin-Selective Electron Transfer and Charge Recombination in Self-Assembled Porphyrin Naphthalenediimide Dyads

The spin selectivity of electron transfer in a series of metalloporphyrin pyridyl-linked naphthalenediimides (MTPP-Pyr(CH₂) _n NDI, where M = Zn, n = 2, 4, 7, and M = Al(OCOPh), n = 7) is studied by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy in the nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). Following pulsed laser excitation, all of the complexes show a narrow antiphase doublet that is assigned to the triplet state of the radical pair MTPP^•+NDI^•−. Initially, the antiphase doublet has an emission/absorption (E/A) polarization pattern characteristic of singlet electron transfer. At later times the polarization inverts to an A/E pattern. The intensity of the late signal depends very strongly on the nature of the metal in the porphyrin. A qualitative model that rationalizes this result is presented. It is proposed that both singlet and triplet electron transfer occur in the dyads and that the differences in the intensity of the polarization are the result of differences in the spin selectivity of intersystem crossing for the different metals. The consequences of this model for magnetic field effects in such systems are briefly discussed.     

On Electron Spin Polarization Created in the Excited Triplet State of Accessory Chlorophyll via Photoinduced Charge-Recombination of the Photosystem II Reaction Center

We present a theoretical approach to investigate the electron spin polarization (ESP) of the excited triplet state that has been detected using the time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) method in the photosystem II center of the plants. We show, using the stochastic Liouville equation, that the ESP pattern created in the accessory chlorophyll (Chl_accD1) which reside near the P_D1 chlorophyll of the active branch is explained by one-step, concerted double electron transfer model, initiating from the singlet–triplet conversion of the light-induced charge-separated state composed of P_D1 radical cation and pheophytin radical anion. We also considered the sequential ESP transfer model via the triplet charge-recombination (CR) and the triplet–triplet energy transfer processes. It has been clearly shown that the ESP created in the ³Chl_accD1* is dependent on the rate constant (k _TT) of the triplet–triplet energy transfer from the intermediate triplet state created by the CR. Also we show that the relative orientation of the principal axes of the spin dipolar interaction in the intermediate triplet state (³P_D1*, as an example) may play a role in the ESP pattern, when the k _TT is smaller than the angular frequency of the Zeeman energy. We have theoretically shown that the TREPR measurement of the ESP is very powerful to investigate the primary chemical process and to characterize the intermediate as a signature of the stepwise ESP transfer.     

Theoretical and experimental studies of chemically induced electron-nuclear polarization in low magnetic fields

Chemically induced electron-nuclear polarization at low magnetic fields is considered theoretically for a radical with one magnetic nucleus. It is shown that large non-equilibrium populations of the radical spin levels are expected to exist under low magnetic fields. This large electron-nuclear polarization has been observed experimentally during the photolysis of two phosphine oxides using a modified L-band TREPR setup. The TREPR spectra and kinetics of dimethoxyphosphonyl and diphenylphosphonyl radicals have been measured and analysed in low magnetic fields, and excellent agreement between experiment and theory has been achieved.     

Energy Science,Principles, Technologies and Impacts: Second Edition,by John Andrews and Nick Jelley

It is now possible to obtain informative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra from living tissue such as muscle. A discussion is given of the various ways in which NMR can be applied to biological material, and particular emphasis is placed on some recent phosphorus NMR studies of muscle. These studies can provide detailed information about the chemical reactions that are associated with muscular contraction. Mention is made of some of the biochemical and medical applications of NMR that may become feasible in the next few years.     

One-dimensional orbital excitations in vanadium oxides

The d electron orbital is a hidden but important degree of freedom controlling novel properties of transition-metal oxides. A one-dimensional orbital system is especially intriguing due to its enhanced quantum fluctuation. We present a combined experimental and theoretical study on the Raman scattering spectra in perovskite oxides NdVO(3) and LaVO(3) to prove that the quasi-one-dimensional orbital chain described by fermionic pseudospinons bears orbital excitations exchanging occupied orbital states on the neighboring sites, termed a two-orbiton in analogy with two-magnon.