Temporal mapping of photochemical reactions and molecular excited states with carbon specificity

Wang, K.; Murahari, P.; Yokoyama, K.; Lord, J. S.; Pratt, F. L.; He, J.; Schulz, Leander; Willis, M.; Anthony, J. E.; Morley, N. A.; Nuccio, Laura; Misquitta, A.; Dunstan, D. J.; Shimomura, K.; Watanabe, I.; Zhang, S.; Heathcote, P.; Drew, Alan J.

doi:10.1038/nmat4816

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Temporal mapping of photochemical reactions and molecular excited states with carbon specificity

Wang, K. College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Murahari, P. School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London UK
Yokoyama, K. School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London UK - ISIS Muon Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
Lord, J. S. ISIS Muon Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
Pratt, F. L. ISIS Muon Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
He, J. College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Schulz, Leander College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Willis, M. College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Anthony, J. E. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
Morley, N. A. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK
Nuccio, Laura University of Fribourg, Department of Physics and Fribourg Centre for Nanomaterials, Switzerland
Misquitta, A. School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London UK
Dunstan, D. J. School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London UK
Shimomura, K. Materials and Life Science Division, J-PARC Center, Tokai, Ibaraki, Japan
Watanabe, I. RIKEN-RAL, Nishina Centre, 2-1 Hirosawa,Wako, Saitama, Japan
Zhang, S. College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Heathcote, P. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London, UK
Drew, Alan J. College of Physical Sciences and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China - School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London UK - ISIS Muon Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK

12.12.2016

Published in:

Nature Materials. - 2017, vol. 16, no. 4, p. 467–473

English Photochemical reactions are essential to a large number of important industrial and biological processes. A method for monitoring photochemical reaction kinetics and the dynamics of molecular excitations with spatial resolution within the active molecule would allow a rigorous exploration of the pathway and mechanism of photophysical and photochemical processes. Here we demonstrate that laser-excited muon pump–probe spin spectroscopy (photo-μSR) can temporally and spatially map these processes with a spatial resolution at the single-carbon level in a molecule with a pentacene backbone. The observed time-dependent light-induced changes of an avoided level crossing resonance demonstrate that the photochemical reactivity of a specific carbon atom is modified as a result of the presence of the excited state wavefunction. This demonstrates the sensitivity and potential of this technique in probing molecular excitations and photochemistry.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Physique

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