Dynamics and spectra of excited states of water-micellar suspensions of single-walled carbon nanotubes

The dynamics of the photoinduced differential absorption and excited-state bleaching spectra of single-walled carbon nanotubes suspended in a micellar solution were studied in the spectral range from 40 to 1000 nm within a time interval from 70 fs to 150 ps under excitation by 50-fs pulses with photon energies 2 and 4 eV. The bleaching and absorption bands were observed in the spectra; the positions of the bleaching peaks were independent of the photon energy of the exciting femtosecond pulse in the range 2–4 eV. It was established that, for delay times shorter than 1 ps, the shape of the differential spectrum of excited nanotubes coincided with the shape of the second derivative of the absorption spectrum of unexcited nanotubes in the frequency range of exciting pulse above 18000 cm^?1 (the range of absorption bands of metallic nanotubes). In the frequency range below 16000 cm^?1 (the range of absorption peaks of semiconducting nanotubes), the bleaching peaks in the differential spectrum of excited nanotubes undergo a high-frequency shift of 200–300 cm^?1 with respect to the second-derivative spectrum of unexcited nanotubes. The excited-state relaxation rate constants were measured. They are well approximated by the exponential dependences and depend on the probe-pulse wavelength. An assumption was made about the nature of the observed spectra of excited nanotubes and about the excitation relaxation.     

Dynamics of intramolecular processes in electronic-excited states of 2,4,5-triarylimidazole molecules

Intramolecular processes in electronic-excited states of 2,4,5-triarylimidazole molecules were studied by femtosecond laser spectroscopy. Experiments were carried out with two types of compounds, namely, those experiencing intramolecular proton transfer and two model compounds in which it is impossible. Schemes of the processes studied were proposed and the characteristic rate constants were determined. The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in the molecules with planar structure of the reaction center is a very fast process (100 fs). If the reaction center has a nonplanar structure and, hence, the intramolecular hydrogen bond is weakened, the ESIPT time is determined by the time of conformational rearrangement of the molecule.     

Role of water structure in thermodynamics of nonpolar solvation

The SSOZ (site-site Ornstein-Zernike) equation with an original closure condition for liquid molecular systems is used to calculate thermodynamic functions of noble gas solvation in water. Water is modeled by two close sets of atom-atomic potential functions. The calculations indicate that the chemical solvation potential is strongly sensitive to water structure. A comparison with experiment is given. Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 736–741, July–August, 1996. Translated by L. Smolina     

Mass-spectrometric characteristics of glycidyl and thioglycidyl ethers

The principles of the fragmentation of the simplest glycidyl and thioglycidyl ethers under the influence of electron impact, which were discovered by comparison of the spectra of homologs using data from photoelectronic spectroscopy and optical mass spectrometry, are examined as a manifestation of the general characteristics of the fragmentation of bifunctional compounds.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 739–745, June, 1988.     

New directions of femtochemistry and femtobiology

In recent years, femtochemistry and femtobiology have been quickly progressing. The specific characteristics of femtosecond pulses have extended the possibilities of traditional experiments and allowed obtaining new previously inacceptable information. New lines of research have emerged. This publication overviews studies performed at the Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These studies cover three new directions: the mechanisms of intramolecular physicochemical processes occurring on the femto-picosecond timescale, coherent photochemistry based on the action of femtosecond pulses, and physicochemical processes initiated by multiphoton absorption of femtosecond radiation. The scope of these directions is illustrated by the results of studies of actual chemical and biological systems.