Charge migration following ionization in systems with chromophore-donor and amine-acceptor sites

Attochemistry Regulation of Charge Migration

Charge migration (CM) is a coherent attosecond process that involves the movement of localized holes across a molecule. To determine the relationship between a molecule's structure and the CM dynamics it exhibits, we perform systematic studies of para-functionalized bromobenzene molecules (X-C₆H₄-R) using real-time time-dependent density functional theory. We initiate valence-electron dynamics by emulating rapid strong-field ionization leading to a localized hole on the bromine atom. The resulting CM, which takes on the order of 1 fs, occurs via an X localized → C₆H₄ delocalized → R localized mechanism. Interestingly, the hole contrast on the acceptor functional group increases with increasing electron-donating strength. This trend is well-described by the Hammett σ value of the group, which is a commonly used metric for quantifying the effect of functionalization on the chemical reactivity of benzene derivatives. These results suggest that simple attochemistry principles and a density-based picture can be used to predict and understand CM.

Attosecond charge migration following oxygen K-shell ionization in DNA bases and base pairs

Core ionization of DNA begins a cascade of events which could lead to cellular inactivation or death. The created core-hole following an impulse inner-shell ionization of molecules naturally decays in the auger timescale. We simulated charge migration (CM) phenomena following an impulsive core ionization of individual DNA bases at the oxygen K-edge which occurs before Auger decay of the oxygen. Our approach is based on real-time time dependent density functional theory (RT-TDDFT). It is shown that the pronounced hole fluctuation observed around bonds of the initial core-hole results in various valence orbital migrations. Also, the same photo-core-ionized dynamics is studied for the related base pairs. We investigate the role of base pairing and H-bonding interactions in the attosecond CM dynamics. In particular, the creation of a core-hole in the oxygen involved in H-bonding leads to an enhancement of charge migration relative to the respective single bases. Importantly, the hole oscillation of the adenine-thymine base pair upon creation of a core-hole at the oxygen, which does not contribute to the donor-acceptor interactions (not H-bonded), decreases compared to the single thymine base. Understanding the detailed dynamics of the localized core-hole initiating CM process would open the way for chemically controlling DNA damage/repair in the future.

Core-Valence Attosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy of Polyatomic Molecules

Tracing ultrafast processes induced by interaction of light with matter is often very challenging. In molecular systems, the initially created electronic coherence becomes damped by the slow nuclear rearrangement on a femtosecond timescale which makes real-time observations of electron dynamics in molecules particularly difficult. In this work, we report an extension of the theory underlying the attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (ATAS) for the case of molecules, including a full account for the coupled electron-nuclear dynamics in the initially created wave packet, and apply it to probe the oscillations of the positive charge created after outer-valence ionization of the propiolic acid molecule. By taking advantage of element-specific core-to-valence transitions induced by x-ray radiation, we show that the resolution of ATAS makes it possible to trace the dynamics of electron density with atomic spatial resolution.

Ultrafast X-ray scattering offers a structural view of excited-state charge transfer

Intramolecular charge transfer and the associated changes in molecular structure in N,N'-dimethylpiperazine are tracked using femtosecond gas-phase X-ray scattering. The molecules are optically excited to the 3p state at 200 nm. Following rapid relaxation to the 3s state, distinct charge-localized and charge-delocalized species related by charge transfer are observed. The experiment determines the molecular structure of the two species, with the redistribution of electron density accounted for by a scattering correction factor. The initially dominant charge-localized state has a weakened carbon-carbon bond and reorients one methyl group compared with the ground state. Subsequent charge transfer to the charge-delocalized state elongates the carbon-carbon bond further, creating an extended 1.634 Å bond, and also reorients the second methyl group. At the same time, the bond lengths between the nitrogen and the ring-carbon atoms contract from an average of 1.505 to 1.465 Å. The experiment determines the overall charge transfer time constant for approaching the equilibrium between charge-localized and charge-delocalized species to 3.0 ps.

Angular Dependence of Strong Field Ionization of 2-Phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine (PENNA) Using Time-Dependent Configuration Interaction with an Absorbing Potential

Ionization of 2-phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine (PENNA) may lead to charge migration between the amine group and the phenyl group. The angular dependence of strong field ionization of PENNA has been modeled by time-dependent configuration interaction with an absorbing potential. The total ionization rate can be partitioned into contributions from the amine group and the phenyl group, and these components have very distinct shapes. Ionization from the amine is primarily from the side opposite to the lone pair and is dominated by the CH₂ and CH₃ groups. Similarly, trimethylamine (N(CH₃)₃), dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃), and methyl fluoride (CH₃F) are also found to ionize primarily from the methyl groups. The predominance of ionization from the methyl groups can be attributed to the fact that the orbital energies of individual lone pairs of N, O, and F are lower than the CH₃ groups. Because the angular dependence of ionization of the two groups is quite different, alignment of PENNA could be used to control the ratio of the amine and phenyl cations and potentially probe charge migration in PENNA cation.

The Ehrenfest method with fully quantum nuclear motion (Qu-Eh): Application to charge migration in radical cations

An algorithm is described for quantum dynamics where an Ehrenfest potential is combined with fully quantum nuclear motion (Quantum-Ehrenfest, Qu-Eh). The method is related to the single-set variational multi-configuration Gaussian approach (vMCG) but has the advantage that only a single quantum chemistry computation is required at each time step since there is only a single time-dependent potential surface. Also shown is the close relationship to the "exact factorization method." The quantum Ehrenfest method is compared with vMCG for study of electron dynamics in a modified bismethylene-adamantane cation system. Illustrative examples of electron-nuclear dynamics are presented for a distorted allene system and for HCCI⁺ where one has a degenerate Π system.

Charge migration and charge transfer in molecular systems

The transfer of charge at the molecular level plays a fundamental role in many areas of chemistry, physics, biology and materials science. Today, more than 60 years after the seminal work of R. A. Marcus, charge transfer is still a very active field of research. An important recent impetus comes from the ability to resolve ever faster temporal events, down to the attosecond time scale. Such a high temporal resolution now offers the possibility to unravel the most elementary quantum dynamics of both electrons and nuclei that participate in the complex process of charge transfer. This review covers recent research that addresses the following questions. Can we reconstruct the migration of charge across a molecule on the atomic length and electronic time scales? Can we use strong laser fields to control charge migration? Can we temporally resolve and understand intramolecular charge transfer in dissociative ionization of small molecules, in transition-metal complexes and in conjugated polymers? Can we tailor molecular systems towards specific charge-transfer processes? What are the time scales of the elementary steps of charge transfer in liquids and nanoparticles? Important new insights into each of these topics, obtained from state-of-the-art ultrafast spectroscopy and/or theoretical methods, are summarized in this review.

Molecular attochemistry in non-polar liquid environments: ultrafast charge migration dynamics through gold-thiolate and gold-selenolate linkages

Molecular attosecond science has already started contributing to our fundamental understanding of ultrafast purely electron dynamics in isolated molecules under vacuum. Extending attosecond science to the liquid phase is expected to offer new insight into the influence of a surrounding solvent environment on the attosecond electron dynamics in solvated molecules. A systematic theoretical investigation of the attochemistry of solvated molecules would help one design attosecond experiments under ambient conditions to explore the attochemistry in a liquid environment. With this goal in mind, for the first time, we have explored the attochemistry of molecules surrounded by different non-polar solvent environments. For this work, we have focused on the attosecond charge conduction through gold-thiolate and gold-selenolate linkages following the vertical ionization of the S/Se(CH₃)-CH₂-phenyl-X unit anchored to a gold dimeric cluster (Au₂), where X represents either a strong electron donating N(CH₃)₂ group or a strong electron withdrawing NO₂ group. To model solvation effects on the attochemistry of molecules containing gold-chalcogen linkages, we have used an implicit solvent model (Polarizable Continuum Model) under the density functional theory (DFT) formalism for non-polar solvents. We have found that the charge migration time scale in molecules becomes faster in the presence of the solvent environment as compared to that under vacuum. Charge oscillation does not damp quickly in molecules surrounded by the solvent environment as compared to that under vacuum. Furthermore, the direction of the charge migration may change in molecules when they are surrounded by the solvent environment as compared to that under vacuum. Thus, the present work has laid the foundation, for the first time, for thinking of the attochemistry into the realm of liquids.

Photoinduced Ultrafast Charge Transfer and Charge Migration in Small Gold Clusters Passivated by a Chromophoric Ligand

Because the development of attopulses, charge migration induced by short optical pulses has been extensively investigated. We report a computational purely electronic dynamical study of ultrafast few femtoseconds (fs) charge transfer and charge migration in realistic passivated stoichiometric Au₁₁ and Au₂₀ gold nanoclusters functionalized by a bipyridine ligand. We show that a net significant amount of electronic charge (0.1 to 0.4 |e| where |e| is the electron charge) is permanently transferred from the bipyridine chromophore to the gold cluster during the short 5-6 fs UV-vis strong pulse. This electron transfer to the metallic core is induced by the optical excitation of electronic states with a partial charge transfer character involving the chromophore before the onset of nuclei motion. In addition, the photoexcitation by the strong fs pulse builds a nonequilibrium electronic density that beats between the chromophore and the metallic core around the average of the transferred value. Modular systems made of a donor chromophore that can be photoexcited in the UV-vis range coupled to an efficient acceptor that could trap the charge are of interest for applications to nanodevices. Our study provides understanding on the very early, purely electronic dynamics built by the fs optical excitation and the initial charge separation step.

Probing the role of excited states in ionization of acetylene

Ionization of acetylene by linearly-polarized, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser pulses is modelled using time-dependent density functional theory. Several laser wavelengths are considered including one that produces direct ionization to the first excited cationic state while another excites the molecules to a Rydberg series incorporating an autoionizing state. We show that for the wavelengths and intensities considered, ionization is greatest whenever the molecule is aligned along the laser polarization direction. By considering high harmonic generation we show that populating excited states can lead to a large enhancement in the harmonic yield. Lastly, angularly-resolved photoelectron spectra are calculated which show how the energy profile of the emitted electrons significantly changes in the presence of these excited states.

Computational Studies on Structural, Excitation, and Charge-Transfer Properties of Ureidopeptidomimetics

Peptides with ureido group enclosing backbones are considered peptidomimetics and are known for their higher stabilities, biocompatibilities, antibiotic, inhibitor, and charge-transduction activities. These peptidomimetics have some unique applications, which are quite different from those of natural peptides. Hence, it is imperative to appreciate their properties at a microscopic level. In this regard, this work outlines, in detail, the charge transfer (CT) properties, hole-migration dynamics, and electronic structures of various experimentally comprehended ureidopeptidomimetic models using density functional theory (DFT). Time-dependent DFT and complete active space self-consistent field computations on basic models provide the necessary evidence for the viability of CT from the end enfolding the ureido group to the other end with a carboxylate entity. This donor-to-acceptor CT has been reflected in excitation studies, in which the higher intensity band corresponds to CT from the π orbital of the ureido group to the π* orbital of the carboxylate entity. Further, hole-migration studies have shown that charge can evolve from the ureido end, whereas the hole generated at the carboxylate end does not migrate. However, hole migration has been reported to occur from both ends (amino and carboxylate ends) in glycine oligopeptides, and our studies show that the ability to transfer and migrate charge can be tuned by modifying the donor and acceptor functional groups in both the neutral and cationic charge states. We have analyzed the possibility of hole migration following ionization using DFT-based wave-packet propagation and found its occurrence on a ∼2-5 fs time scale, which reflects the charge-transduction ability of peptidomimetics.

Electron and nuclear dynamics following ionisation of modified bismethylene-adamantane

We have simulated the coupled electron and nuclear dynamics using the Ehrenfest method upon valence ionisation of modified bismethylene-adamantane (BMA) molecules where there is an electron transfer between the two π bonds. We have shown that the nuclear motion significantly affects the electron dynamics after a few fs when the electronic states involved are close in energy. We have also demonstrated how the non-stationary electronic wave packet determines the nuclear motion, more precisely the asymmetric stretching of the two π bonds, illustrating “charge-directed reactivity”. Taking into account the nuclear wave packet width results in the dephasing of electron dynamics with a half-life of 8 fs; this eventually leads to the equal delocalisation of the hole density over the two methylene groups and thus symmetric bond lengths.

Observation of an Excitonic Quantum Coherence in CdSe Nanocrystals

Recent observations of excitonic coherences within photosynthetic complexes suggest that quantum coherences could enhance biological light harvesting efficiencies. Here, we employ optical pump-probe spectroscopy with few-femtosecond pulses to observe an excitonic quantum coherence in CdSe nanocrystals, a prototypical artificial light harvesting system. This coherence, which encodes the high-speed migration of charge over nanometer length scales, is also found to markedly alter the displacement amplitudes of phonons, signaling dynamics in the non-Born-Oppenheimer regime.

Observation of Ultrafast Charge Migration in an Amino Acid

We present the first direct measurement of ultrafast charge migration in a biomolecular building block - the amino acid phenylalanine. Using an extreme ultraviolet pulse of 1.5 fs duration to ionize molecules isolated in the gas phase, the location of the resulting hole was probed by a 6 fs visible/near-infrared pulse. By measuring the yield of a doubly charged ion as a function of the delay between the two pulses, the positive hole was observed to migrate to one end of the cation within 30 fs. This process is likely to originate from even faster coherent charge oscillations in the molecule being dephased by bond stretching which eventually localizes the final position of the charge. This demonstration offers a clear template for observing and controlling this phenomenon in the future.

Multielectron effects in high harmonic generation in N2 and benzene: simulation using a non-adiabatic quantum molecular dynamics approach for laser-molecule interactions

A mixed quantum-classical approach is introduced which allows the dynamical response of molecules driven far from equilibrium to be modeled. This method is applied to the interaction of molecules with intense, short-duration laser pulses. The electronic response of the molecule is described using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and the resulting Kohn-Sham equations are solved numerically using finite difference techniques in conjunction with local and global adaptations of an underlying grid in curvilinear coordinates. Using this approach, simulations can be carried out for a wide range of molecules and both all-electron and pseudopotential calculations are possible. The approach is applied to the study of high harmonic generation in N(2) and benzene using linearly polarized laser pulses and, to the best of our knowledge, the results for benzene represent the first TDDFT calculations of high harmonic generation in benzene using linearly polarized laser pulses. For N(2) an enhancement of the cut-off harmonics is observed whenever the laser polarization is aligned perpendicular to the molecular axis. This enhancement is attributed to the symmetry properties of the Kohn-Sham orbital that responds predominantly to the pulse. In benzene we predict that a suppression in the cut-off harmonics occurs whenever the laser polarization is aligned parallel to the molecular plane. We attribute this suppression to the symmetry-induced response of the highest-occupied molecular orbital.

Imaging electronic quantum motion with light

Imaging the quantum motion of electrons not only in real-time, but also in real-space is essential to understand for example bond breaking and formation in molecules, and charge migration in peptides and biological systems. Time-resolved imaging interrogates the unfolding electronic motion in such systems. We find that scattering patterns, obtained by X-ray time-resolved imaging from an electronic wavepacket, encode spatial and temporal correlations that deviate substantially from the common notion of the instantaneous electronic density as the key quantity being probed. Surprisingly, the patterns provide an unusually visual manifestation of the quantum nature of light. This quantum nature becomes central only for non-stationary electronic states and has profound consequences for time-resolved imaging.

LIAD-fs scheme for studies of ultrafast laser interactions with gas phase biomolecules

Laser induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) has been used for the first time to study the parent ion production and fragmentation mechanisms of a biological molecule in an intense femtosecond (fs) laser field. The photoacoustic shock wave generated in the analyte substrate (thin Ta foil) has been simulated using the hydrodynamic HYADES code, and the full LIAD process has been experimentally characterised as a function of the desorption UV-laser pulse parameters. Observed neutral plumes of densities >10(9) cm(-3) which are free from solvent or matrix contamination demonstrate the suitability and potential of the source for studying ultrafast dynamics in the gas phase using fs laser pulses. Results obtained with phenylalanine show that through manipulation of fundamental femtosecond laser parameters (such as pulse length, intensity and wavelength), energy deposition within the molecule can be controlled to allow enhancement of parent ion production or generation of characteristic fragmentation patterns. In particular by reducing the pulse length to a timescale equivalent to the fastest vibrational periods in the molecule, we demonstrate how fragmentation of the molecule can be minimised whilst maintaining a high ionisation efficiency.

Time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions from strong-field ionization of rotating naphthalene molecules

A nanosecond laser pulse confines the spatial orientation of naphthalene in 1D or 3D while a femtosecond kick pulse initiates rotation of the molecular plane around the fixed long axis. Time-dependent photoelectron angular distributions (PADs), resulting from ionization by an intense femtosecond probe pulse, exhibit pronounced changes as the molecular plane rotates. Enhanced 3D alignment, occurring shortly after the kick pulse, provides strongly improved contrast in molecular-frame PADs. Calculations in the strong-field approximation show that the striking structures observed in the PADs originate from nodal planes in occupied valence orbitals.

Radiation generated by the ultrafast migration of a positive charge following the ionization of a molecular system

Electronic many-body effects alone can be the driving force for an ultrafast migration of a positive charge created upon ionization of molecular systems. Here we show that this purely electronic phenomenon generates a characteristic IR radiation. The situation when the initial ionic wave packet is produced by a sudden removal of an electron is also studied. It is shown that in this case a much stronger UV emission is generated. This emission appears as an ultrafast response of the remaining electrons to the perturbation caused by the sudden ionization and as such is a universal phenomenon to be expected in every multielectron system.