1. |
- Kjær, Kasper S., et al.
(author)
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Finding intersections between electronic excited state potential energy surfaces with simultaneous ultrafast X-ray scattering and spectroscopy
- 2019
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In: Chemical Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2041-6520 .- 2041-6539. ; 10:22, s. 5749-5760
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Light-driven molecular reactions are dictated by the excited state potential energy landscape, depending critically on the location of conical intersections and intersystem crossing points between potential surfaces where non-adiabatic effects govern transition probabilities between distinct electronic states. While ultrafast studies have provided significant insight into electronic excited state reaction dynamics, experimental approaches for identifying and characterizing intersections and seams between electronic states remain highly system dependent. Here we show that for 3d transition metal systems simultaneously recorded X-ray diffuse scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy at sub-70 femtosecond time-resolution provide a solid experimental foundation for determining the mechanistic details of excited state reactions. In modeling the mechanistic information retrieved from such experiments, it becomes possible to identify the dominant trajectory followed during the excited state cascade and to determine the relevant loci of intersections between states. We illustrate our approach by explicitly mapping parts of the potential energy landscape dictating the light driven low-to-high spin-state transition (spin crossover) of [Fe(2,2′-bipyridine)3]2+, where the strongly coupled nuclear and electronic dynamics have been a source of interest and controversy. We anticipate that simultaneous X-ray diffuse scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy will provide a valuable approach for mapping the reactive trajectories of light-triggered molecular systems involving 3d transition metals.
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2. |
- Kjær, Kasper S., et al.
(author)
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Solvent control of charge transfer excited state relaxation pathways in [Fe(2,2′-bipyridine)(CN)4]2-
- 2018
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In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 20:6, s. 4238-4249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The excited state dynamics of solvated [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2-, where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, show significant sensitivity to the solvent Lewis acidity. Using a combination of optical absorption and X-ray emission transient spectroscopies, we have previously shown that the metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state of [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- has a 19 picosecond lifetime and no discernable contribution from metal centered (MC) states in weak Lewis acid solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile.1,2 In the present work, we use the same combination of spectroscopic techniques to measure the MLCT excited state relaxation dynamics of [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- in water, a strong Lewis acid solvent. The charge-transfer excited state is now found to decay in less than 100 femtoseconds, forming a quasi-stable metal centered excited state with a 13 picosecond lifetime. We find that this MC excited state has triplet (3MC) character, unlike other reported six-coordinate Fe(ii)-centered coordination compounds, which form MC quintet (5MC) states. The solvent dependent changes in excited state non-radiative relaxation for [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- allows us to infer the influence of the solvent on the electronic structure of the complex. Furthermore, the robust characterization of the dynamics and optical spectral signatures of the isolated 3MC intermediate provides a strong foundation for identifying 3MC intermediates in the electronic excited state relaxation mechanisms of similar Fe-centered systems being developed for solar applications.
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3. |
- Zheng, Kaibo, et al.
(author)
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Direct Experimental Evidence for Photoinduced Strong-Coupling Polarons in Organolead Halide Perovskite Nanoparticles
- 2016
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 7:22, s. 4535-4539
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Echoing the roaring success of their bulk counterparts, nano-objects built from organolead halide perovskites (OLHP) present bright prospects for surpassing the performances of their conventional organic and inorganic analogues in photodriven technologies. Unraveling the photoinduced charge dynamics is essential for optimizing the optoelectronic functionalities. However, mapping the carrier-lattice interactions remains challenging, owing to their manifestations on multiple length scales and time scales. By correlating ultrafast time-resolved optical and X-ray absorption measurements, this work reveals the photoinduced formation of strong-coupling polarons in CH3NH3PbBr3 nanoparticles. Such polarons originate from the self-trapping of electrons in the Coulombic field caused by the displaced inorganic nuclei and the oriented organic cations. The transient structural change detected at the Pb L3 X-ray absorption edge is well-captured by a distortion with average bond elongation in the [PbBr6]2- motif. General implications for designing novel OLHP nanomaterials targeting the active utilization of these quasi-particles are outlined.
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4. |
- Zhu, Qiushi, et al.
(author)
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Correlating structure and electronic band-edge properties in organolead halide perovskites nanoparticles
- 2016
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In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 18:22, s. 14933-14940
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- After having emerged as primary contenders in the race for highly efficient optoelectronics materials, organolead halide perovskites (OHLP) are now being investigated in the nanoscale regime as promising building blocks with unique properties. For example, unlike their bulk counterpart, quantum dots of OHLP are brightly luminescent, owing to large exciton binding energies that cannot be rationalized solely on the basis of quantum confinement. Here, we establish the direct correlation between the structure and the electronic band-edge properties of CH3NH3PbBr3 nanoparticles. Complementary structural and spectroscopic measurements probing long-range and local order reveal that lattice strain influences the nature of the valence band and modifies the subtle stereochemical activity of the Pb2+ lone-pair. More generally, this work demonstrates that the stereochemical activity of the lone-pair at the metal site is a specific physicochemical parameter coupled to composition, size and strain, which can be employed to engineer novel functionalities in OHLP nanomaterials.
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5. |
- Abdellah, Mohamed, et al.
(author)
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Drastic difference between hole and electron injection through the gradient shell of CdxSeyZn1−xS1−y quantum dots
- 2017
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In: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 9:34, s. 12503-12508
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the hole injection in CdxSeyZn1-xS1-y gradient core-shell quantum dot (CSQD) sensitized p-type NiO photocathodes. A series of CSQDs with a wide range of shell thicknesses was studied. Complementary photoelectrochemical cell measurements were carried out to confirm that the hole injection from the active core through the gradient shell to NiO takes place. The hole injection from the valence band of the QDs to NiO depends much less on the shell thickness when compared to the corresponding electron injection to n-type semiconductor (ZnO). We simulate the charge carrier tunneling through the potential barrier due to the gradient shell by numerically solving the Schrodinger equation. The details of the band alignment determining the potential barrier are obtained from X-ray spectroscopy measurements. The observed drastic differences between the hole and electron injection are consistent with a model where the hole effective mass decreases, while the gradient shell thickness increases.
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6. |
- An, Rui, et al.
(author)
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Photostability and Photodegradation Processes in Colloidal CsPbI3 Perovskite Quantum Dots
- 2018
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 10:45, s. 39222-39227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- All-inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have attracted intense attention for their successful application in photovoltaics (PVs) and optoelectronics that are enabled by their superior absorption capability and great photoluminescence (PL) properties. However, their photostability remains a practical bottleneck and further optimization is highly desirable. Here, we studied the photostability of as-obtained colloidal CsPbI3 QDs suspended in hexane. We found that light illumination does induce photodegradation of CsPbI3 QDs. Steady-state spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and transient absorption spectroscopy verified that light illumination leads to detachment of the capping agent, collapse of the CsPbI3 QD surface, and finally aggregation of surface Pb0. Both dangling bonds containing surface and Pb0 serve as trap states causing PL quenching with a dramatic decrease of PL quantum yield. Our work provides a detailed insight about the correlation between the structural and photophysical consequences of the photodegradation process in CsPbI3 QDs and may lead to the optimization of such QDs toward device applications.
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7. |
- Barillot, T., et al.
(author)
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Attosecond time delays in C-60 valence photoemissions at the giant plasmon
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6596 .- 1742-6588. ; 635, s. 112074-112074
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We perform time-dependent local density functional calculations of the time delay in C-60 HOMO and HOMO-1 photoionization at giant plasmon energies. A semiclassical model is used to develop further insights.
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8. |
- Biasin, Elisa, et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond X-Ray Scattering Study of Ultrafast Photoinduced Structural Dynamics in Solvated[Co(terpy)2]2$
- 2016
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In: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 1079-7114 .- 0031-9007. ; 117:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the structural dynamics of photoexcited [Co(terpy)2]2+ in an aqueous solution with ultrafast x-ray diffuse scattering experiments conducted at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Through direct comparisons with density functional theory calculations, our analysis shows that the photoexcitation event leads to elongation of the Co-N bonds, followed by coherent Co-N bond length oscillations arising from the impulsive excitation of a vibrational mode dominated by the symmetrical stretch of all six Co-N bonds. This mode has a period of 0.33 ps and decays on a subpicosecond time scale. We find that the equilibrium bond-elongated structure of the high spin state is established on a single-picosecond time scale and that this state has a lifetime of ∼7 ps.
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9. |
- Bolbat, Ekaterina, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and catalytic activity of platinum(II) carbene complexes
- 2016
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In: Inorganica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0020-1693. ; 445, s. 129-133
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel platinum complex with 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidenyl ligand has been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The XRD determination of the complex (monoclinic, C2/c) revealed a structure in which the platinum (II) centre coordinates two chlorides, a carbon atom of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and is stabilized by coordinating the nitrogen atom of a 3-chloropyridine molecule, forming an over-all square planar geometry. By prolonging the time of the reaction, it was possible to obtain the trans-dichloridobis(3-chloropyridine) platinum(II) complex under the same reaction conditions. The electronic and molecular properties of both complexes were investigated and compared by means of Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), supported by numerical simulations. The platinum carbene complex obtained was tested in a series of C-H activation and hydrosilylation reactions.
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10. |
- Chen, Junsheng, et al.
(author)
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Enhanced Size Selection in Two-Photon Excitation for CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals
- 2017
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 8:20, s. 5119-5124
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), with large two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section and bright photoluminescence (PL), have been demonstrated as stable two-photon-pumped lasing medium. With two-photon excitation, red-shifted PL spectrum and increased PL lifetime is observed compared with one-photon excitation. We have investigated the origin of such difference using time-resolved laser spectroscopies. We ascribe the difference to the enhanced size selection of NCs by two-photon excitation. Because of inherent nonlinearity, the size dependence of absorption cross-section under TPA is stronger. Consequently, larger size NCs are preferably excited, leading to longer excited-state lifetime and red-shifted PL emission. In a broad view, the enhanced size selection in two-photon excitation of CsPbBr3 NCs is likely a general feature of the perovskite NCs and can be tuned via NC size distribution to influence their performance within NC-based nonlinear optical materials and devices.
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