Substituent Effects in Molecular Electronic Relaxation Dynamics via Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy: ππ* States in Benzenes

Intersystem Crossing of 2-Methlypyrazine Studied by Femtosecond Photoelectron Imaging

2-methylpyrazine was excited to the high vibrational dynamics of the S1 state with 260 nm femtosecond laser light, and the evolution of the excited state was probed with 400 nm light. Because it was unstable, the S1 state decayed via intersystem crossing to the triplet state T1, and it may have decayed to the ground state S0 via internal conversion. S1-to-T1 intersystem crossing was observed by combining time-resolved mass spectrometry and time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The crossover time scale was 23 ps. Rydberg states were identified, and the photoelectron spectral and angular distributions indicated accidental resonances of the S1 and T1 states with the 3s and 3p Rydberg states, respectively, during ionization.

Aromatic and Acetylenic C-H or C-D Stretching Bands Anharmonicity Detection of Phenylacetylene by UV Laser-Induced Vibrational Emission

The anharmonic infrared (IR) emission spectra of phenylacetylene C₆H₅CCH and an isotopologue C₆H₅CCD induced by 193 nm UV excitation have been investigated in the gas phase. The study has been operated with a homemade IR spectrometer enabling to record time- and wavelength-resolved spectra between 2.5 and 4.5 μm, emitted all along the collisional cooling. The analysis is supported by a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation in the vibrational harmonic approximation. For both species, the anharmonic shifts of the acetylenic C-H or C-D stretching modes and the aromatic C-H stretching modes are studied for band positions and bandwidths in terms of the internal energy. For C₆H₅CCD, the internal energy dependence of the emission intensity band ratio is investigated and rationalized. This work demonstrates the potential of time-resolved IR emission spectroscopy to explore anharmonicity of astrophysically relevant molecules.

Solvent Effects on Ultrafast Photochemical Pathways

Photochemical reactions are increasingly being used for chemical and materials synthesis, for example, in photoredox catalysis, and generally involve photoexcitation of molecular chromophores dissolved in a liquid solvent. The choice of solvent influences the outcomes of the photochemistry because solute-solvent interactions modify the energies of and crossings between electronic states of the chromophores, and they affect the evolving structures of the photoexcited molecules. Ultrafast laser spectroscopy methods with femtosecond to picosecond time resolution can resolve the dynamics of these photoexcited molecules as they undergo structural and electronic changes, relax back to the ground state, dissipate their excess internal energy to the surrounding solvent, or undergo photochemical reactions. In this Account, we illustrate how experimental studies using ultrafast lasers can reveal the influences that different solvents or cosolutes exert on the photoinduced nonadiabatic dynamics of internal conversion and intersystem crossing in nonradiative relaxation pathways. Although the environment surrounding a solute molecule is rapidly changing, with fluctuations in the coordination to neighboring solvent molecules occurring on femtosecond or picosecond time scales, we show that it is possible to photoexcite selectively only those molecular chromophores transiently experiencing specific solute-solvent interactions such as intermolecular hydrogen bonding.The effects of different solvation environments on the photodynamics are illustrated using four selected examples of photochemical processes in which the solvent has a marked effect on the outcomes. We first consider two aromatic carbonyl compounds, benzophenone and acetophenone, which are known to undergo fast intersystem crossing to populate the first excited triplet state on time scales of a few picoseconds. We show that the nonadiabatic excited-state dynamics are modified by transient hydrogen bonding of the carbonyl group to a protic solvent or by coordination to a metal cation cosolute. We then examine how different solvents modify the competition between two alternative relaxation pathways in a photoexcited UVA-sunscreen molecule, diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB). This relaxation back to the ground electronic state is an essential part of the effective operation of the sunscreen compound, but the dynamics are sensitive to the surrounding environment. Finally, we consider how solvents of different polarity affect the energies and lifetimes of excited states with locally excited or charge-transfer character in heterocyclic organic compounds used as excited-state electron donors for photoredox catalysis. With these and other examples, we seek to develop a molecular level understanding of how the choice of solution environment might be used to control the outcomes of photochemical reactions.

Tuning the Excited-State Dynamics of Acetophenone Using Metal Ions in Solution

The effects of dissolved metal salts on the excited-state dynamics of acetophenone in solution have been explored by using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy at two UV excitation wavelengths. In the absence of metal ions, the S₁(nπ*) transition of acetophenone is excited at 320 nm, with intersystem crossing (ISC) occurring with a time constant τ_ISC = 5.95 ± 0.47 ps in acetonitrile solution. Excitation at 280 nm accesses the S₂(ππ*) state, which internally converts (<0.2 ps) to S₁ before undergoing ISC with τ_ISC = 4.36 ± 0.14 ps. Coordination to Mg²⁺ ions makes the S₂ state accessible to excitation at 320 nm, with the rate of S₂ → S₁ internal conversion reducing 3-fold but the ISC rate increasing. These changes to the excited-state energies and dynamics of this model photosensitizer indicate that dissolved metal salts could modify the photochemistry of synthetically useful homogeneous photocatalytic systems.

Improved insights in time-resolved photoelectron imaging

We review new light source developments and data analysis considerations relevant to the time-resolved photoelectron imaging technique. Case studies illustrate how these themes may enhance understanding in studies of excited state molecular dynamics.

Ultrafast Molecular Spectroscopy Using a Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber Light Source

We demonstrate, for the first time, the application of rare-gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs) as tunable ultraviolet light sources in femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. A critical requirement here is excellent output stability over extended periods of data acquisition, and we show this can be readily achieved. The time-resolved photoelectron imaging technique reveals nonadiabatic dynamical processes operating on three distinct time scales in the styrene molecule following excitation over the 242-258 nm region. These include ultrafast (<100 fs) internal conversion between the S₂(ππ*) and S₁(ππ*) electronic states and subsequent intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution within S₁(ππ*). Compact, cost-effective, and highly efficient benchtop HC-PCF sources have huge potential to open up many exciting new avenues for ultrafast spectroscopy in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet spectral regions. We anticipate that our initial validation of this approach will generate important impetus in this area.

From fundamental science to product: a bottom-up approach to sunscreen development

Despite the pivotal role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sustaining life on Earth, overexposure to this type of radiation can have catastrophic effects, such as skin cancer. Sunscreens, the most common form of artificial protection against such harmful effects, absorb UV radiation before it reaches vulnerable skin cells. Absorption of UV radiation prompts ultrafast molecular events in sunscreen molecules which, ideally, would allow for fast and safe dissipation of the excess energy. However, our knowledge of these mechanisms remains limited. In this article, we will review recent advances in the field of ultrafast photodynamics (light induced molecular processes occurring within femtoseconds, fs, 10-15 s to picoseconds, ps, 10-12 s) of sunscreens. We follow a bottom-up approach to common sunscreen active ingredients, analysing any emerging trends from the current literature on the subject. Moreover, we will identify the main questions that remain unanswered, pinpoint some of the main challenges and finally comment on the outlook of this exciting field of research.

Real-time observation of cascaded electronic relaxation processes in p-Fluorotoluene

Ultrafast electronic relaxation processes following two photoexcitation of 400nm in p-Fluorotoluene (pFT) have been investigated utilizing time-resolved photoelectron imaging coupled with time-resolved mass spectroscopy. Cascaded electronic relaxation processes started from the electronically excited S₂ state are directly imaged in real time and well characterized by two distinct time constants of ~85±10fs and 2.4±0.3ps. The rapid component corresponds to the lifetime of the initially excited S₂ state, including the structure relaxation from the Franck-Condon region to the conical intersection of S₂/S₁ and the subsequent internal conversion to the highly excited S₁ state. While, the slower relaxation constant is attributed to the further internal conversion to the high levels of S₀ from the secondarily populated S₁ locating in the channel three region. Moreover, dynamical differences with benzene and toluene of analogous structures, including, specifically, the slightly slower relaxation rate of S₂ and the evidently faster decay of S₁, are also presented and tentatively interpreted as the substituent effects. In addition, photoelectron kinetic energy and angular distributions reveal the feature of accidental resonances with low-lying Rydberg states (the 3p, 4s and 4p states) during the multi-photon ionization process, providing totally unexpected but very interesting information for pFT.

Intramolecular Processes Revealed Using UV-Laser-Induced IR-Fluorescence: A New Perspective on the "Channel Three" of Benzene

Radiative relaxation in the infrared (IR) is common following nonradiative electronic relaxation processes, but it is rarely measured. We present ultraviolet laser-induced infrared fluorescence (UV-LIIRF) excitation spectroscopy and dispersed UV-LIIRF spectroscopy of gas phase benzene vibronically excited around the onset of channel 3, using a homemade spectrometer. We found that the vibrational IR fluorescence yield is clearly higher when benzene is excited above the onset than when it is excited below. Significant changes in dispersed IR emission profiles resulting from excitations below and above the onset of channel 3 were also observed. These results suggest that isomerization of benzene toward fulvene occurs efficiently below the opening of channel 3 and confirm that channel 3 involves a photophysical relaxation pathway that efficiently competes with isomerization.

Hexamethylcyclopentadiene: time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning simulations

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning dynamical simulations of hexamethylcyclopentadiene reveal wavepacket evolution in a distinct degree of freedom.

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of S2 → S1 internal conversion in benzene and toluene

Ultrafast internal conversion of benzene and toluene from the S(2) states was studied by time-resolved photoelectron imaging with a time resolution of 22 fs. Time-energy maps of the photoelectron intensity and the angular anisotropy were generated from a series of photoelectron images. The photoelectron kinetic energy distribution exhibits a rapid energy shift and intensity revival, which indicates nuclear motion on the S(2) adiabatic surface, while the ultrafast evolution of the angular anisotropy revealed a change in the electronic character of the S(2) adiabatic surface. From their decay profiles of the total photoelectron intensity, the time constants of 48 ± 4 and 62 ± 4 fs were determined for the population decay from the S(2) states in benzene and toluene, respectively.

Photoinduced reconfiguration cycle in a molecular adsorbate layer studied by femtosecond inner-shell photoelectron spectroscopy

A time-resolved study of core-level chemical shifts in a monolayer of aromatic molecules reveals complex photoinduced reaction dynamics. The combination of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and ultrashort pulse excitation in the extreme ultraviolet allows performing time-correlated 4d-core-level spectroscopy of iodine atoms that probe the local chemical environment in the adsorbate molecule. The selectivity of the method unveils metastable molecular configurations that appear about 50 ps after the excitation and are efficiently quenched back to the ground state.

Ultrafast relaxation dynamics observed through time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of the 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) radical anion is presented. Photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) are qualitatively analyzed in terms of the simple s-p model that is based on symmetry arguments. The internal conversion dynamics from the first excited state (1(2)B(3u)) to the ground state ((2)B(2g)) may be observed through temporal changes in the PADs of the spectrally overlapping photoelectron features arising from photodetachment of the ground state and the excited state. A formulism for extracting the population dynamics from the β(2) anisotropy parameter of overlapping spectroscopic features is presented. This is used to extract the lifetime of the first excited state, which is in good agreement with that observed in the time-resolved photoelectron spectra.

Femtosecond Transient Absorption and Nanosecond Time-Resolved Resonance Raman Study of the Solvent-Dependent Photo-Deprotection Reaction of Benzoin Diethyl Phosphate

A combined femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) and nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (ns-TR3) study was performed to directly detect the dynamics and elucidate the mechanism of the excited state deactivation and solvent-dependent photo-deprotection pathways for benzoin diethyl phosphate (BDP) in neat acetonitrile (MeCN) and 75 % H2O/25 % MeCN. Comparison of the TA spectral evolution observed in the two solvents provides explicit evidence that the photophysical deactivation of the BDP singlet excited state has little solvent dependence. The TA spectra also indicate the related internal conversion (IC) and intersystem crossing (ISC) processes occur rapidly on hundreds of femtoseconds and approximately 2-3 ps time scales, respectively. From this and in conjunction with a photochemistry study and ground state resonance Raman (RR) measurements, the TA results reveal that the phenacyl localized BDP triplet state (that is mainly npi* nature) is the common and immediate precursor to the photo-deprotection reaction in both solvents. However, the triplet deprotection follows different pathways in neat MeCN versus the largely water containing solvent. The deprotection reaction in MeCN was determined to occur with a approximately 11 ns time constant and the reaction was found to be an unimolecular process leading to elimination of the diethyl phosphoric acid apparently concurrent with cyclization to yield the benzofuran product. In the water mixed solvent, the triplet reaction was observed to proceed with a approximately 15 ns time constant and the reaction leads to not only the deprotection-cyclization but also a heterolytic dissociation to release the diethyl phosphate anion through a branching and competing mechanism. The ns-TR3 spectra combined with relevant DFT calculations have been used to characterize the dynamics, structure and vibrational frequencies to help identify the important intermediates as well as to explore the reaction pathway leading to formation of the solvolysis product in the largely water solvent. A consecutive mechanism has been revealed for the heterolysis-solvolysis reaction in the water mixed solvent. The present work provides direct and irrevocable evidence for the dynamics and mechanistic description of the overall photophysics and deprotection related photochemistry for BDP.

Ultrafast electron diffraction: Excited state structures and chemistries of aromatic carbonyls

The photophysics and photochemistry of molecules with complex electronic structures, such as aromatic carbonyls, involve dark structures of radiationless processes. With ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) of isolated molecular beams it is possible to determine these transient structures, and in this contribution we examine the nature of structural dynamics in two systems, benzaldehyde and acetophenone. Both molecules are seen to undergo a bifurcation upon excitation (S(2)). Following femtosecond conversion to S(1), the bifurcation leads to the formation of molecular dissociation products, benzene and carbon monoxide for benzaldehyde, and benzoyl and methyl radicals for acetophenone, as well as intersystem crossing to the triplet state in both cases. The structure of the triplet state was determined to be "quinoidlike" of pipi(*) character with the excitation being localized in the phenyl ring. For the chemical channels, the product structures were also determined. The difference in photochemistry between the two species is discussed with respect to the change in large amplitude motion caused by the added methyl group in acetophenone. This discussion is also expanded to compare these results with the prototypical aliphatic carbonyl compounds, acetaldehyde and acetone. From these studies of structural dynamics, experimental and theoretical, we provide a landscape picture for, and the structures involved in, the radiationless pathways which determine the fate of molecules following excitation. For completeness, the UED methodology and the theoretical framework for structure determination are described in this full account of an earlier communication [J. S. Feenstra et al., J. Chem. Phys. 123, 221104 (2005)].

Excited state molecular structures and reactions directly determined by ultrafast electron diffraction

In this communication, we report on the use of ultrafast electron diffraction to determine structural dynamics of excited states and reaction products of isolated aromatic carbonyls, acetophenone and benzaldehyde. For a 266 nm excitation, a bifurcation of pathways is structurally resolved, one leading to the formation of the triplet state (quinoid structure) and another to chemical products: for benzaldehyde the products are benzene and carbon monoxide (hydrogen migration and bond rupture) while those for acetophenone are the benzoyl and methyl radicals (bond rupture). The refined structures are compared with those predicted by theory. These dark structures and their radiationless transitions define the reduced energy landscape for complex reactions.

Non-adiabatic intramolecular and photodissociation dynamics studied by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron and coincidence imaging spectroscopy

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (TRPES) is emerging as a useful tool for the study of non-adiabatic dynamics in isolated polyatomic molecules and clusters due to its sensitivity to both electronic and vibrational dynamics. A powerful extension of TRPES, coincidence imaging spectroscopy (CIS), based upon femtosecond time-resolved 3D momentum vector imaging of both photoions and photoelectrons in coincidence, is a new technique for the study of complex dissociative processes. Here we show how these spectroscopies can be used to study both non-adiabatic intramolecular and photodissociation dynamics in polyatomic molecules. Intramolecular dynamics in the alpha, beta-enones acrolein, crotonaldehyde and methyl vinyl ketone are studied using both TRPES and laser-induced fluorescence of HCO(X) product yields. The location of the methyl group is seen to have very dramatic effects on the relative electronic relaxation rates and the HCO(X) yield. Applying both TRPES and CIS to the 200 nm and 209 nm photodissociation of the nitric oxide dimer, (NO)2, we observe the fs time-scale evolution of the excited parent neutral via its photoelectron spectrum and the emergence of the NO(A) photofragment including its energy and angular distributions.