Study of ultrafast dynamics of 2-picoline by time-resolved photoelectron imaging

The dynamics of electronically excited states in 2-picoline is studied using femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. The internal conversion from the S(2) state to the vibrationally excited S(1) state is observed in real time. The secondarily populated high vibronic S(1) state deactivates further to the S(0) state. Photoelectron energy and angular distributions reveal the feature of ionization from the singlet 3p Rydberg states. In addition, variation of time-dependent anisotropy parameters indicates the rotational coherence of the molecule.     

丙烯酸分子的激发态超快预解离动力学

利用飞秒泵浦-探测技术结合飞行时间质谱(TOF-MS),研究了丙烯酸分子被200nm泵浦光激发到第二电子激发态(S2)后的超快预解离动力学.采集了母体离子和碎片离子的时间分辨质谱信号,并利用动力学方程对时间分辨离子质谱信号进行拟合和分析,揭示了预解离通道的存在.布居在S2激发态的分子通过快速的内转换弛豫到第一电子激发态(S1),时间常数为210fs,随后再经内转换从S1态弛豫到基态(S0)的高振动态,时间常数为1.49ps.分子最终在基态高振动态势能面上发生C-C键和C-O键的断裂,分别解离生成H2C=CH和HOCO、H2C=CHCO和OH中性碎片,对应的预解离时间常数分别约为4和3ps.碎片离子的产生有两个途径,分别来自于母体离子的解离和基态高振动态势能面上中性碎片的电离.     

邻二氯苯激发态动力学

利用飞秒分辨的激光泵浦-探测技术结合飞行时间质谱和光电子速度成像方法研究了邻二氯苯第一电子单重激发态(S₁)的超快动力学.邻二氯苯的S₁态振动基态寿命为(651 ± 10) ps,对应于S₁振动基态向三重态的系间窜越过程.邻二氯苯S₁的高振动激发9a₂18a₂对应两个衰减通道,其中寿命为(458 ± 12) fs的超快过程对应于由处于振动激发的S₁向高振动激发的基态(S₀)发生的内转换过程,而寿命为(90 ± 10) ps过程则对应由S₁态向三重态(T₁)的系间窜越过程,电离产生的光电子能谱中长寿命的谱峰可能与系间窜越过程有关. S₁态高振动态的旋轨耦合程度比低振动态的更强,导致系间窜越过程更快.     

Generation and characterization of highly vibrationally excited molecular beam

A simple method to generate and characterize a pure highly vibrationally excited azulene molecular beam is demonstrated. Azulene molecules initially excited to the S4 state by 266-nm UV photons reach high vibrationally excited levels of the ground electronic state upon rapid internal conversion from the S4 electronically excited state. VUV laser beams at 157 and 118 nm, respectively, are used to characterize the relative concentrations of the highly vibrationally excited azulene and the rotationally and vibrationally cooled azulene in the molecular beam. With a laser intensity of 34 mJ/cm2, 75% of azulene molecules absorb a single 266-nm photon and become highly vibrationally excited molecules. The remaining ground-state azulene molecules absorb two or more UV photons, ending up either as molecular cations, which are repelled out of the beam by an electric field, or as dissociation fragments, which veer off the molecular-beam axis. No azulene without absorption of UV photons is left in the molecular beam. The molecular beam that contains only highly vibrationally excited molecules and carrier gas is useful in various experiments related to the studies of highly vibrationally excited molecules.     

Nanosecond time-resolved IR emission from molecules excited in a supersonic jet: intramolecular dynamics of NO2 near dissociation

IR emission from NO2 cooled in a supersonic jet and excited to a single, B 2B1 state rovibronic level at 22 994.92 cm(-1) above the ground-state zero point was detected with 10(-8)-s time resolution. The IR emission together with the laser-induced fluorescence decay measurement allows the deduction of the relaxation dynamics near the dissociation of NO2. Following the excitation this single rovibronic B 2B1 level decays on 1.0-s time scale primarily through electronic radiation. Collisions induce internal conversion with a rate constant of 3.0 x 10(7) Torr(-1) s(-1) to the mixed AX states. Collisions further induce internal conversion of the AX mixed states into highly vibrationally excited levels in the X states with a rate constant at least one order of magnitude slower. This mechanism results in the observation of a double-exponential decay in the laser-induced fluorescence and a rise in the IR emission intensity corresponding to the fast decay in the fluorescence intensity. The IR emission rate of the highly vibrationally excited X-state levels is estimated to be about one order of magnitude larger than the isoenergetic AX mixed states and much larger than the B 2B1 level, both with much less vibrational excitation.     

Femtosecond spectroscopic studies of the one- and two-photon excited-state dynamics of 2,2,17,17-tetramethyloctadeca-5,9,13-trien-3,7,11,15-tetrayne: a trimeric oligodiacetylene

The excited-state dynamics of an oligomer of polydiacetylene, 2,2,17,17-tetramethyloctadeca-5,9,13-trien-3,7,11,15-tetrayne, dissolved in n-hexane have been studied by femtosecond fluorescence upconversion and polarized transient absorption experiments under one- and two-photon excitation conditions. Spectroscopically monitoring the population relaxation in the excited states in real time results in a distinct time separation of the dynamics. It has been concluded that the observed dynamics can be fully accounted for on the basis of the two lower excited states of the target molecule. The S1 (2(1)Ag) state, which cannot be excited from the ground state with one-photon absorption, is verified to be populated via internal conversion in 200+/-40 fs from the strong dipole-allowed S2 (1(1)Bu) state. The population in the "hot" S1 state subsequently cools with a time constant of 6+/-1 ps and decays back to the ground state with a lifetime of 790+/-12 ps.     

Far-UV photochemical bond cleavage of n-amyl nitrite: bypassing a repulsive surface

We have investigated the deep-UV photoinduced, homolytic bond cleavage of amyl nitrite to form NO and pentoxy radicals. One-color multiphoton ionization with ultrashort laser pulses through the S(2) state resonance gives rise to photoelectron spectra that reflect ionization from the S(1) state. Time-resolved pump-probe photoionization measurements show that upon excitation at 207 nm, the generation of NO in the v = 2 state is delayed, with a rise time of 283 (16) fs. The time-resolved mass spectrum shows the NO to be expelled with a kinetic energy of 1.0 eV, which is consistent with dissociation on the S(1) state potential energy surface. Combined, these observations show that the first step of the dissociation reaction involves an internal conversion from the S(2) to the S(1) state, which is followed by the ejection of the NO radical on the predissociative S(1) state potential energy surface.     

飞秒时间分辨的光电子影像对3-甲基吡啶分子超快动力学研究

利用飞秒时间分辨的光电子影像技术结合时间分辨的质谱技术,研究了3-甲基吡啶分子激发态的超快过程. 实时观察到了3-甲基吡啶分子S₂态向S₁态高振动能级的超快内转换过程,该内转换的时间大约为910fs. 二次布居的S₁态主要通过内转换衰减到基态S₀,该内转换的时间尺度为2.77 ps. 光电子能谱分布和光电子角分布显示,S₂态和S₁态在电离的过程中跟3p里德堡态发生偶然共振. 本次实验中还用400 nm两个光子吸收的方法布居了3-甲基吡啶的3s 里德堡态. 研究表明,3s 里德堡态的寿命为62 fs,并主要通过内转换快速衰减到基态.     

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.     

Mode specific photodissociation of CS2(+) via the A2Π(u) state: a time-sliced velocity map imaging study

The vibrationally mediated photodissociation of CS(2)(+) cations via the A(2)Π(u)(ν(1),ν(2),0) state has been studied by means of the velocity map ion imaging technique. The measurements were made with a double resonance strategy. The CS(2)(+) cations were prepared by a (3 + 1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization method. The photo-fragment excitation spectrum of S(+) was recorded by scanning the photolysis laser via the A(2)Π(u)(ν(1),ν(2),0) state. By fixing the photolysis laser wavelength at the specific vibrational state, the (1 + 1) photodissociation images of S(+) photofragments from numerous vibrationally mediated states have been accumulated. The translational energy release spectra derived from the resulting images imply that the co-fragments, CS radicals, are both vibrationally and rotationally excited. The one-photon photodissociation without the vibrational state selection has also been performed. Comparing the vibrationally mediated photodissociation with one-photon photodissociation observations, clear evidence of vibrational state control of the photodissociation process is observed.     

Ultrafast dynamics of isolated fluorenone

The ultrafast dynamics of isolated 9-fluorenone was studied by femtosecond time-resolved photoionization and photoelectron spectroscopy. The molecule was excited around 264-266 nm into the S(6) state. The experimental results indicate that the excitation is followed by a multistep deactivation. A time constant of 50 fs or less corresponds to a fast redistribution of energy within the initially excited manifold of states, i.e., a motion away from the Franck-Condon region. Internal conversion to the S(1) state then proceeds within 0.4 ps. The S(1) state is long-lived, and only a lower bound of 20 ps can be derived. In addition, we computed excited state energies and oscillator strengths by TD-DFT theory, supporting the interpretation of the experimental data.     

Ultrafast dynamics in thiophene investigated by femtosecond pump probe photoelectron spectroscopy and theory

A hybrid of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and a time-of-flight "magnetic-bottle type" photoelectron (PE) spectrometer is used for fs pump-probe investigations of the excited state dynamics of thiophene. A resonant two-photon ionization spectrum of the onset of the excited states has been recorded with a tunable UV laser of 190 fs pulse width. With the pump laser set to the first intense transition we find by UV probe ionization first a small time shift of the maxima in the PE spectrum and then a fast decay to a low constant intensity level. The fitted time constants are 80+/-10 fs, and 25+/-10 fs, respectively. Theoretical calculations show that upon geometry relaxation the electronic state order changes and conical intersections between excited states exist. We use the vertical state order S1, S2, S3 to define the terms S1, S2, and S3 for the characterization of the electron configuration of these states. On the basis of our theoretical result we discuss the electronic state order in the UV spectra and identify in the photoelectron spectrum the origin of the first cation excited state D1. The fast excited state dynamics agrees best with a vibrational dynamics in the photo-excited S1 (80+/-10 fs) and an ultrafast decay via a conical intersection, presumably a ring opening to the S3 state (25+/-10 fs). The subsequently observed weak constant signal is taken as an indication, that in the gas phase the ring-closure to S0 is slower than 50 ps. An ultrafast equilibrium between S1 and S2 before ring opening is not supported by our data.     

Theoretical study toward understanding ultrafast internal conversion of excited 9H-adenine

The CASPT2/CASSCF method with the 6-311G basis set and an active space up to (14, 11) was used to explore the ultrafast internal conversion mechanism for excited 9H-adenine. Three minima, two transition states, and seven conical intersections were obtained to build up the two deactivation pathways for the internal conversion mechanism. Special efforts were made to explore the excited-state potential energy surfaces near the Franck-Condon region and determine the various barriers in the processes of deactivation. The barrier required from the 1pipi (1La) state to deactivate nonradiatively is found to be lower than that required from the 1pipi (1Lb) state. On 250 nm excitation, the 1pipi (1La) state is populated, and the transition from 1pipi (1La) to the lowest 1npi state involves very low barriers, which may account for the observed short (<50 fs) lifetime of the 1pipi excited state. The deactivation of the lowest 1npi state is required to overcome a barrier of 3.15 kcal/mol, which should be responsible for the 750 fs lifetime of the npi excited state. On 267 nm excitation, the vibrationally active 1pipi (1Lb) state is populated. Excitation at 277 nm prepares the 1pipi (1Lb) state without much excessive vibrational energy, which may be responsible for the observed >2 ps lifetime.     

1 + 1] photodissociation of CS(2)(+)(X̃2Π(g)) via the vibrationally mediated B̃2Σ(u)+ state: multichannels exhibiting and mode specific dynamics

Dissociation dynamics of CS(2)(+) vibrationally mediated via its B?(2)Σ(u)(+) state, was studied using the time-sliced velocity map imaging technique. The parent CS(2)(+) cation was prepared in its X?(2)Π(g) ground state through a [3 + 1] resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization process, via the 4pσ(3)Π(u) intermediate Rydberg state of neutral CS(2) molecule at 483.14 nm. CS(2)(+)(X?(2)Π(g)) was dissociated by a [1?+?1] photoexcitation mediated via the vibrationally selected B? state over a wavelength range of 267-283 nm. At these wavelengths the C?(2)Σ(g)(+) and D?(2)Σ(u)(+) states are excited, followed by numerous S(+) and CS(+) dissociation channels. The S(+) channels specified as three distinct regions were shown with vibrationally resolved structures, in contrast to the less-resolved structures being presented in the CS(+) channels. The average translational energy releases were obtained, and the S(+)∕CS(+) branching ratios with mode specificity were measured. Two types of dissociation mechanisms are proposed. One mechanism is the direct coupling of the C? and D? states with the repulsive satellite states leading to the fast photofragmentation. The other mechanism is the internal conversion of the C? and D? states to the B? state, followed by the slow fragmentation occurred via the coupling with the repulsive satellite states.     

Photoinduced electron transfer between a carotenoid and TiO2 nanoparticle

The dynamics of photoinduced electron injection and recombination between all-trans-8'-apo-beta-caroten-8'-oic acid (ACOA) and a TiO(2) colloidal nanoparticle have been studied by means of transient absorption spectroscopy. We observed an ultrafast ( approximately 360 fs) electron injection from the initially excited S(2) state of ACOA into the TiO(2) conduction band with a quantum yield of approximately 40%. As a result, the ACOA(*)(+) radical cation was formed, as demonstrated by its intense absorption band centered at 840 nm. Because of the competing S(2)-S(1) internal conversion, approximately 60% of the S(2)-state population relaxes to the S(1) state. Although the S(1) state is thermodynamically favorable to donate electrons to the TiO(2), no evidence was found for electron injection from the ACOA S(1) state, most likely as a result of a complicated electronic nature of the S(1) state, which decays with a approximately 18 ps time constant to the ground state. The charge recombination between the injected electrons and the ACOA(*)(+) was found to be a highly nonexponential process extending from picoseconds to microseconds. Besides the usual pathway of charge recombination forming the ACOA ground state, about half of the ACOA(*)(+) recombines via the ACOA triplet state, which was monitored by its absorption band at 530 nm. This second channel of recombination proceeds on the nanosecond time scale, and the formed triplet state decays to the ground state with a lifetime of approximately 7.3 micros. By examination of the process of photoinduced electron transfer in a carotenoid-semiconductor system, the results provide an insight into the photophysical properties of carotenoids, as well as evidence that the interfacial electron injection occurs from the initially populated excited state prior to electronic and nuclear relaxation of the carotenoid molecule.     

On the photoionization of large molecules

There is no apparent limit to the size of a molecule for which photoionization can occur. It is argued that it is difficult to obtain useful photoionization mass spectra of peptides (above ～ 2000 u), proteins, and oligonucleotides, because of the high internal energy of these polar molecules as a result of the desorption event and because vibrationally excited radical cations readily fragment. Evidence to support this hypothesis is presented from the 118-nm single-photon ionization (SPI) mass spectra of the cyclic decapeptide gramicidin S and of fullerenes, from null SPI results with the linear peptides substance P and gramicidin D and oligonucleotides, and from a variety of data found in the literature. The literature data include mass spectra from jet-cooled peptides, perfluorinated polyethers, collisional ionization of small neutral peptides, and the ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy of polymeric solids.     

REMPI studies in the Lewis-Rayleigh afterglow of nitrogen

The resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) technique has been used to detect the presence of highly vibrationally excited nitrogen (to at least ν″ = 26) in the Lewis-Rayleigh afterglow of nitrogen using photoionization via the intermediate a ¹Π_g state (Lyman-Birge-Hopfield bands). For the ν″ = 23, 24 and 25 levels in their Δν = −11 sequence, the REMPI process involves one photon to excite and one to ionize in contrast to the 2 + 2 process required to detect the ν″ = 0 level. The power dependences of the various processes have been measured and provide further confirmation of the assignments.     

Photodissociation Dynamics of Cyclopropenylidene,c‐C3H2

In this joint experimental and theoretical study we characterize the complete dynamical “life cycle” associated with the photoexcitation of the singlet carbene cyclopropenylidene to the lowest lying optically bright excited electronic state: from the initial creation of an excited‐state wavepacket to the ultimate fragmentation of the molecule on the vibrationally hot ground electronic state. Cyclopropenylidene is prepared in this work using an improved synthetic pathway for the preparation of the precursor quadricyclane, thereby greatly simplifying the assignment of the molecular origin of the measured photofragments. The excitation process and subsequent non‐adiabatic dynamics have been previously investigated employing time‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and are now complemented with high‐level ab initio trajectory simulations that elucidate the specific vibronic relaxation pathways. Lastly, the fragmentation channels accessed by the molecule following internal conversion are probed using velocity map imaging (VMI) so that the identity of the fragmentation products and their corresponding energy distributions can be definitively assigned.     

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of the chloranil radical anion: ultrafast relaxation of electronically excited electron acceptor states

The spectroscopy and dynamics of near-threshold excited states of the isolated chloranil radical anion are investigated using photoelectron imaging. The photoelectron images taken at 480 nm clearly indicate resonance-enhanced photodetachment via a bound electronic excited state. Time-resolved photoelectron imaging reveals that the excited state rapidly decays on a timescale of 130 fs via internal conversion. The ultrafast relaxation dynamics of excited states near threshold are pertinent to common electron acceptor molecules based on the quinone moiety and may serve as doorway states that enable efficient electron transfer in the highly exergonic inverted regime, despite the presence of large free energy barriers.