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Sallembien Q, Bouteiller L, Crassous J, Raynal M. Possible chemical and physical scenarios towards biological homochirality. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:3436-3476. [PMID: 35377372 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01179k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The single chirality of biological molecules in terrestrial biology raises more questions than certitudes about its origin. The emergence of biological homochirality (BH) and its connection with the appearance of life have elicited a large number of theories related to the generation, amplification and preservation of a chiral bias in molecules of life under prebiotically relevant conditions. However, a global scenario is still lacking. Here, the possibility of inducing a significant chiral bias "from scratch", i.e. in the absence of pre-existing enantiomerically-enriched chemical species, will be considered first. It includes phenomena that are inherent to the nature of matter itself, such as the infinitesimal energy difference between enantiomers as a result of violation of parity in certain fundamental interactions, and physicochemical processes related to interactions between chiral organic molecules and physical fields, polarized particles, polarized spins and chiral surfaces. The spontaneous emergence of chirality in the absence of detectable chiral physical and chemical sources has recently undergone significant advances thanks to the deracemization of conglomerates through Viedma ripening and asymmetric auto-catalysis with the Soai reaction. All these phenomena are commonly discussed as plausible sources of asymmetry under prebiotic conditions and are potentially accountable for the primeval chiral bias in molecules of life. Then, several scenarios will be discussed that are aimed to reflect the different debates about the emergence of BH: extra-terrestrial or terrestrial origin (where?), nature of the mechanisms leading to the propagation and enhancement of the primeval chiral bias (how?) and temporal sequence between chemical homochirality, BH and life emergence (when?). Intense and ongoing theories regarding the emergence of optically pure molecules at different moments of the evolution process towards life, i.e. at the levels of building blocks of Life, of the instructed or functional polymers, or even later at the stage of more elaborated chemical systems, will be critically discussed. The underlying principles and the experimental evidence will be commented for each scenario with particular attention on those leading to the induction and enhancement of enantiomeric excesses in proteinogenic amino acids, natural sugars, and their intermediates or derivatives. The aim of this review is to propose an updated and timely synopsis in order to stimulate new efforts in this interdisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Sallembien
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, Equipe Chimie des Polymères, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Laurent Bouteiller
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, Equipe Chimie des Polymères, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Jeanne Crassous
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, ISCR-UMR 6226, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Matthieu Raynal
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, Equipe Chimie des Polymères, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
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Quack M, Seyfang G, Wichmann G. Perspectives on parity violation in chiral molecules: theory, spectroscopic experiment and biomolecular homochirality. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10598-10643. [PMID: 36320700 PMCID: PMC9491092 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01323a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The reflection (or ‘mirror’) symmetry of space is among the fundamental symmetries of physics. It is connected to the conservation law for the quantum number parity and a fundamental ‘non-observable’ property of space (as defined by an absolute ‘left-handed’ or ‘right-handed’ coordinate system). The discovery of the violation of this symmetry – the non-conservation of parity or ‘parity violation’ – in 1956/1957 had an important influence on the further development of physics. In chemistry the mirror symmetry of space is connected to the existence of enantiomers as isomers of chiral (‘handed’) molecules. These isomers would relate to each other as idealized left or right hand or as image and mirror image and would be energetically exactly equivalent with perfect space inversion symmetry. Parity violation results in an extremely small ‘parity violating’ energy difference between the ground states of the enantiomers which can be theoretically calculated to be about 100 aeV to 1 feV (equivalent to 10−11 to 10−10 J mol−1), depending on the molecule, but which has not yet been detected experimentally. Its detection remains one of the great challenges of current physical–chemical stereochemistry, with implications also for fundamental problems in physics. In biochemistry and molecular biology one finds a related fundamental question unanswered for more than 100 years: the evolution of ‘homochirality’, which is the practically exclusive preference of one chiral, enantiomeric form as building blocks in the biopolymers of all known forms of life (the l-amino acids in proteins and d-sugars in DNA, not the reverse d-amino acids or l-sugars). In astrobiology the spectroscopic detection of homochirality could be used as strong evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, if any. After a brief conceptual and historical introduction we review the development, current status, and progress along these three lines of research: theory, spectroscopic experiment and the outlook towards an understanding of the evolution of biomolecular homochirality. The reflection (or ‘mirror’) symmetry of space is among the fundamental symmetries of physics. It is connected to the conservation law for the quantum number purity and its violation and has a fundamental relation to stereochemistry and molecular chirality.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Quack
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Georg Seyfang
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Hu CL, Wang J, Hua TP, Liu AW, Sun YR, Hu SM. Comb-locked cavity-assisted double-resonance molecular spectroscopy based on diode lasers. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:073003. [PMID: 34340416 DOI: 10.1063/5.0054592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between a molecule and two or more laser fields are of great interest in various studies, but weak and highly overlapping transitions hinder precision measurements. We present the method of comb-locked cavity-assisted double resonance spectroscopy based on narrow-linewidth continuous-wave lasers, which allows for state-selective pumping and probing of molecules. By locking two near-infrared diode lasers to one cavity with a finesse at the order of 105, we measured all three types of double resonances. Carbon monoxide molecules with selected speeds along the laser beam were excited to vibrationally excited states, and absorption spectra with sub-MHz linewidths were observed. Positions of double resonance transitions were determined with an accuracy of 3.7 kHz, which was verified by comparing to Lamb-dip measurements. The present work paves the way to the pump-probe study of highly excited molecules with unprecedented precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- C-L Hu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - J Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - T-P Hua
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - A-W Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Y R Sun
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - S-M Hu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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4
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Handed Mirror Symmetry Breaking at the Photo-Excited State of π-Conjugated Rotamers in Solutions. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13020272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The quest to decode the evolution of homochirality of life on earth has stimulated research at the molecular level. In this study, handed mirror symmetry breaking, and molecular parity violation hypotheses of systematically designed π-conjugated rotamers possessing anthracene and bianthracene core were evinced via circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and circular dichroism (CD). The CPL signals were found to exhibit a (−)-sign, and a handed dissymmetry ratio, which increased with viscosity of achiral solvents depending on the rotation barrier of rotamers. The time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and quantum efficiency measurement of these luminophores in selected solvents reinforced the hypothesis of a viscosity-induced consistent increase of the (−)-sign handed CPL signals.
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Hu CL, Perevalov VI, Cheng CF, Hua TP, Liu AW, Sun YR, Tan Y, Wang J, Hu SM. Optical-Optical Double-Resonance Absorption Spectroscopy of Molecules with Kilohertz Accuracy. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:7843-7848. [PMID: 32866015 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Selective pumping and probing of highly excited states of molecules are essential in various studies but are also challenging because of high density of states, weak transition moments, and lack of precise spectroscopy data. We develop a comb-locked cavity-assisted double-resonance spectroscopy (COCA-DR) method for precision measurements using low-power continuous-wave lasers. A high-finesse cavity locked with an optical frequency comb is used to enhance both the pumping power and the probing sensitivity. As a demonstration, Doppler-free stepwise two-photon absorption spectra of CO2 were recorded by using two milliwatt diode lasers (1.60 and 1.67 μm), and the rotation energies in a highly excited state (CO-stretching quanta = 8) were determined with an unprecedented accuracy of a few kilohertz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Le Hu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - V I Perevalov
- Laboratory of Theoretical Spectroscopy, V. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1, Akademician Zuev sq., 634055 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Cun-Feng Cheng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Tian-Peng Hua
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - An-Wen Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yu R Sun
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yan Tan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shui-Ming Hu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, iChem Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Wichmann G, Miloglyadov E, Seyfang G, Quack M. Nuclear spin symmetry conservation studied by cavity ring-down spectroscopy of ammonia in a seeded supersonic jet from a pulsed slit nozzle. Mol Phys 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2020.1752946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Wichmann
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - E. Miloglyadov
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - G. Seyfang
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - M. Quack
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Quack M, Seyfang G, Wichmann G. Fundamental and approximate symmetries, parity violation and tunneling in chiral and achiral molecules. ADVANCES IN QUANTUM CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aiq.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Questions of Mirror Symmetry at the Photoexcited and Ground States of Non-Rigid Luminophores Raised by Circularly Polarized Luminescence and Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy. Part 2: Perylenes, BODIPYs, Molecular Scintillators, Coumarins, Rhodamine B, and DCM. Symmetry (Basel) 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/sym11030363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether semi-rigid and non-rigid π-conjugated fluorophores in the photoexcited (S1) and ground (S0) states exhibited mirror symmetry by circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy using a range of compounds dissolved in achiral liquids. The fluorophores tested were six perylenes, six scintillators, 11 coumarins, two pyrromethene difluoroborates (BODIPYs), rhodamine B (RhB), and 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM). All the fluorophores showed negative-sign CPL signals in the ultraviolet (UV)–visible region, suggesting energetically non-equivalent and non-mirror image structures in the S1 state. The dissymmetry ratio of the CPL (glum) increased discontinuously from approximately −0.2 × 10−3 to −2.0 × 10−3, as the viscosity of the liquids increased. Among these liquids, C2-symmetrical stilbene 420 showed glum ≈ −0.5 × 10−3 at 408 nm in H2O and D2O, while, in a viscous alkanediol, the signal was amplified to glum ≈ −2.0 × 10−3. Moreover, BODIPYs, RhB, and DCM in the S0 states revealed weak (−)-sign CD signals with dissymmetry ratios (gabs) ≈ −1.4 × 10−5 at λmax/λext. The origin of the (−)-sign CPL and the (−)-sign CD signals may arise from an electroweak charge at the polyatomic level. Our CPL and CD spectral analysis could be a possible answer to the molecular parity violation hypothesis based on a weak neutral current of Z0 boson origin that could connect to the origin of biomolecular handedness.
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Albert S, Chen Z, Keppler K, Lerch P, Quack M, Schurig V, Trapp O. The Gigahertz and Terahertz spectrum of monodeutero-oxirane (c-C 2H 3DO). Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:3669-3675. [PMID: 30444517 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp05311a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The rotational spectrum of monodeutero-oxirane was analysed as measured using the Zurich Gigahertz (GHz) spectrometer and our highest resolution Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer system coupled to synchrotron radiation at the Swiss Light Source (SLS). 112 distinct line frequencies have been newly assigned in the GHz range (extended to 120 GHz, compared to previous work extending to only 59 GHz) including rotational states up to J = 23. We have furthermore assigned 398 lines in the far infrared or Terahertz range (0.75-2.10 THz or 25-70 cm-1) including transitions with rotational quantum numbers up to J = 59. The results are discussed in relation to the possible first astrophysical observation of an isotopically chiral molecule and in relation to molecular parity violation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sieghard Albert
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Kleist EM, Koch Dandolo CL, Guillet JP, Mounaix P, Korter TM. Terahertz Spectroscopy and Quantum Mechanical Simulations of Crystalline Copper-Containing Historical Pigments. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:1225-1232. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b11676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elyse M. Kleist
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Corinna L. Koch Dandolo
- IMS Laboratory, UMR CNRS 5218, University of Bordeaux, 351 cours de la liberation, 33405 Talence, France
| | - Jean-Paul Guillet
- IMS Laboratory, UMR CNRS 5218, University of Bordeaux, 351 cours de la liberation, 33405 Talence, France
| | - Patrick Mounaix
- IMS Laboratory, UMR CNRS 5218, University of Bordeaux, 351 cours de la liberation, 33405 Talence, France
| | - Timothy M. Korter
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
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Fujiki M, Koe JR, Mori T, Kimura Y. Questions of Mirror Symmetry at the Photoexcited and Ground States of Non-Rigid Luminophores Raised by Circularly Polarized Luminescence and Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy: Part 1. Oligofluorenes, Oligophenylenes, Binaphthyls and Fused Aromatics. Molecules 2018; 23:E2606. [PMID: 30314330 PMCID: PMC6222818 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We report experimental tests of whether non-rigid, π-conjugated luminophores in the photoexcited (S₁) and ground (S₀) states dissolved in achiral liquids are mirror symmetrical by means of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Herein, we chose ten oligofluorenes, eleven linear/cyclic oligo-p-arylenes, three binaphthyls and five fused aromatics, substituted with alkyl, alkoxy, phenyl and phenylethynyl groups and also with no substituents. Without exception, all these non-rigid luminophores showed negative-sign CPL signals in the UV-visible region, suggesting temporal generation of energetically non-equivalent non-mirror image structures as far-from equilibrium open-flow systems at the S₁ state. For comparison, unsubstituted naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene and pyrene, which are achiral, rigid, planar luminophores, did not obviously show CPL/CD signals. However, camphor, which is a rigid chiral luminophore, showed mirror-image CPL/CD signals. The dissymmetry ratio of CPL (glum) for the oligofluorenes increased discontinuously, ranging from ≈ -(0.2 to 2.0) × 10-3, when the viscosity of the liquids increased. When the fluorene ring number increased, the glum value extrapolated at [η] = 0 reached -0.8 × 10-3 at 420 nm, leading to (⁻)-CPL signals predicted in the vacuum state. Our comprehensive CPL and CD study should provide a possible answer to the molecular parity violation hypothesis arising due to the weak neutral current mediated by the Z⁰-boson.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiya Fujiki
- Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0036, Japan.
| | - Julian R Koe
- Department of Natural Sciences, International Christian University (ICU), 3-10-2 Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8585, Japan.
| | - Takashi Mori
- Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0036, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Kimura
- Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0036, Japan.
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Albert S, Bolotova I, Chen Z, Fábri C, Quack M, Seyfang G, Zindel D. High-resolution FTIR spectroscopy of trisulfane HSSSH: a candidate for detecting parity violation in chiral molecules. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:11738-11743. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp01139c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We present the first analysis of high resolution infrared spectra for trisulfane, a candidate to measure molecular parity violation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Albert
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - I. Bolotova
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - Z. Chen
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - C. Fábri
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - M. Quack
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - G. Seyfang
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
| | - D. Zindel
- Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zürich
- CH-8093 Zürich
- Switzerland
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