| 1. |
- Fortage, Jerome, et al.
(författare)
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Charge transfer state and large first hyperpolarizability in a highly electronically coupled zinc and gold porphyrin dyad
- 2009
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Ingår i: Chemistry - A European Journal. - 1521-3765 .- 0947-6539. ; 15:36, s. 9058-9067
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the synthesis and the characterizations of a novel dyad composed of a zinc porphyrin (ZnP) linked to a gold porphyrin (AuP) through an ethynyl spacer. The UV/Vis absorption spectrum and the electrochemical properties clearly reveal that this dyad exhibits a strong electronic coupling in the ground state as evidenced by shifted redox potentials and the appearance of an intense charge-transfer band localized at lambda = 739 nm in dichloromethane. A spectroelectrochemical study of the dyad along with the parent homometallic system (i.e., ZnP-ZnP and AuP-AuP) was undertaken to determine the spectra of the reduced and oxidized porphyrin units. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic analysis showed that the photoexcitation of the heterometallic dyad leads to an ultrafast formation of a charge-separated state (+ZnP-AuP center dot) that displays a particularly long lifetime (tau=4 ns in toluene) for such a short separation distance. The molecular orbitals of the dyad were determined by DFT quantum-chemical calculations. This theoretical study confirms that the observed intense band at lambda = 739 nm corresponds to an interporphyrin charge-transfer transition from the HOMO orbital localized on the zinc porphyrin to LUMO orbitals localized on the gold porphyrin. Finally, a Hyper-Rayleigh scattering study shows that the dyad possesses a large first molecular hyperpolarizability coefficient (beta = 2100 x 10(-30) esu at lambda = 1064 nm), thus highlighting the valuable nonlinear optical properties of this new type of push-pull porphyrin system.
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| 2. |
- Nitu, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Meta-Ortho Effect on the Excited State Pathways of Chloroanilines
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Journal of Organic Chemistry. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1434-193X .- 1099-0690. ; 27:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Direct excitation of aromatic compounds grants access to high-energy intermediates that can be utilised in organic synthesis. Understanding and predicting the substituent effects at the excited state for aromatic molecules remains challenging for the synthetic photochemist. In this work, we present an experimental and computational investigation of the excited state of the isomeric chloroanilines, which promptly react by losing the chloride when the amino group is in para position, but are non-reactive and non-emissive in the meta and ortho isomers. XMS-CASPT2//CASSCF computations explain this apparent contradiction of the meta-ortho selectivity rule of Zimmerman, which originates from the substituent effects lowering to a different extent the barrier to populate the prefulvenic conical intersection that deactivates non-radiatively the singlet excited state of the chloroanilines. Computational chemistry allows to elucidate the observed selectivity in the photochemistry of chloroanilines. A meta-ortho effect of the substituents favours the population of the prefulvenic conical intersection which leads to rapid deactivation of the m- and o-isomers of chloroaniline, while the para derivative lives long enough to emit and populate the reactive triplet state which leads to C-Cl dissociation.+image
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| 3. |
- Bagnall, Andrew J.
(författare)
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Novel electrode and photoelectrode materials for hydrogen production based on molecular catalysts
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The PhD project focussed on the application of a cobalt tetraazamacrocyclic complex, in the literature commonly referred to as [Co(CR)Cl2]+ as a molecular catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This was within the broader scope of the EU MSCA H2020 ITN ‘eSCALED’ project, which primarily aimed to create artificial leaf devices for the storage of solar energy in chemical fuels and, as part of this, sought the development of novel bio-inspired and scalable materials. This included researching molecular catalysts without platinum group metals (PGMs) currently relied upon in commercial technology.Three main projects were pursued: firstly, studies of the mechanism of the catalyst itself under organic electrocatalytic conditions. Catalytic intermediates were generated and identified using spectroscopy (UV-vis, NMR, EPR) and the catalytic behaviour was followed with electrochemical techniques. An ECEC mechanism with a rate-determining second protonation step associated with the release of H2 was identified, noting in particular an initial protonation step on the macrocycle at the Co(II) state that was hypothesised to involve the macrocycle amine group acting as a proton relay under the investigated conditions.Secondly, a new synthetic strategy towards novel derivatives of [Co(CR)Cl2]+ was developed to prepare a derivative for anchoring onto sp2-carbon surfaces by pi-stacking interactions. The immobilised catalyst was studied by electrochemical methods and compared with another derivative from collaborators at ICIQ, showing that both derivatives work as heterogenised electrocatalysts for the HER with high faradaic efficiencies and good stability over one hour at pH 2 and especially pH 7, but one derivative displays higher current densities and stability, invoking some consideration of rational design principles for modifying molecular catalysts.Thirdly, studies of a photocatalytic system made up of copper indium sulfide quantum dots (CuInS2 QDs) as a photosensitiser with either [Co(CR)Cl2]+ or its benzoic acid-functionalised derivative were carried out in ascorbate buffer, focussing on the photocatalytic performance and electron transfer (ET) processes between the CuInS2 QDs and the catalyst to explain the remarkable activity and robustness reported for closely related systems. CuInS2 QDs modified to have a ‘hybrid-passivation’ ligand system for compatibility with NiO films were used. Rapid QD-catalyst ET processes were noted for both catalysts. A static binding model with a strong binding equilibrium was adapted for the system, applying a Poisson distribution. This prompts a reconsideration of the importance of anchoring groups for QD-catalyst ET efficiency in solution.
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| 4. |
- Gilbert Gatty, Mélina, et al.
(författare)
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Direct evidence of catalyst reduction on dye and catalyst co-sensitized NiO photocathodes by mid-infrared transient absorption spectroscopy
- 2018
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Ingår i: Chemical Science. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2041-6520 .- 2041-6539. ; 9:22, s. 4983-4991
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Co-sensitization of molecular dyes and catalysts on semiconductor surfaces is a promising strategy to build photoelectrodes for solar fuel production. In such a photoelectrode, understanding the charge transfer reactions between the molecular dye, catalyst and semiconductor material is key to guide further improvement of their photocatalytic performance. Herein, femtosecond mid-infrared transient absorption spectroscopy is used, for the first time, to probe charge transfer reactions leading to catalyst reduction on co-sensitized nickel oxide (NiO) photocathodes. The NiO films were co-sensitized with a molecular dye and a proton reducing catalyst from the family of [FeFe](bdt)(CO)(6) (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate) complexes. Two dyes were used: an organic push-pull dye denoted E2 with a triarylamine-oligothiophene-dicyanovinyl structure and a coumarin 343 dye. Upon photo-excitation of the dye, a clear spectroscopic signature of the reduced catalyst is observed a few picoseconds after excitation in all co-sensitized NiO films. However, kinetic analysis of the transient absorption signals of the dye and reduced catalyst reveal important mechanistic differences in the first reduction of the catalyst depending on the co-sensitized molecular dye (E2 or C343). While catalyst reduction is preceded by hole injection in NiO in C343-sensitized NiO films, the singly reduced catalyst is formed by direct electron transfer from the excited dye E2* to the catalyst in E2-sensitized NiO films. This change in mechanism also impacts the lifetime of the reduced catalyst, which is only ca. 50 ps in E2-sensitized NiO films but is >5 ns in C343-sensitized NiO films. Finally, the implication of this mechanistic study for the development of better co-sensitized photocathodes is discussed.
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| 5. |
- Patehebieke, Yerseen, et al.
(författare)
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β-Scission of Secondary Alcohols via Photosensitization : Synthetic Utilization and Mechanistic Insights
- 2024
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Ingår i: ACS Catalysis. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2155-5435. ; 14:1, s. 585-593
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An efficient metal-free photocatalytic method for the alkylation of alkenes using accessible aliphatic alcohols as redox auxiliaries is presented. C-centered radicals can be generated under mild conditions and subsequently employed in a C(sp3)-C(sp3) bond-forming process, which overall provides a C1 tethering strategy of nucleophiles and electrophiles. The optimized conditions accommodate various electron-deficient alkenes and secondary/tertiary alcohols, with applications in late-stage functionalization of natural products and pharmaceutically relevant compounds. Mechanistic investigations revealed a complex mechanistic manifold, including non-PCET fragmentation and concerted/stepwise PCET. Even though the previously thought PCET type mechanism is compatible with our observations, the non-PCET mechanism most probably constitutes a main pathway.
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| 6. |
- Posada Urrutia, Mauricio, et al.
(författare)
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Access to long-lived room temperature phosphorescence through auration of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole
- 2024
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Ingår i: Dalton Transactions. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1477-9226 .- 1477-9234. ; 53:12, s. 5658-5664
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole–Au(I)–L complexes have been synthesised, structurally characterised and investigated for their photophysical properties. These are the first organometallic Au(I) complexes containing a C–Au bond on the highly electron-deficient benzothiadiazole unit. The complexes exhibit solution-phase phosphorescence at room temperature, assigned to the intrinsic triplet state of the benzothiadiazole unit that is efficently populated through its attachment to gold. Comparison with routinely reported Au(I) complexes, which include intervening alkenyl linkers, suggests that previous assignments of their phosphorescence as 1π → π*(CCR) might be incomplete. Our observations affirm that, in addition to the heavy atom effect, breaking symmetry in the involved aryl motif may be of importance in controlling the luminescence properties.
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| 7. |
- Wallin, Staffan, et al.
(författare)
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Femtosecond Transient Absorption Anisotropy Study on [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and [Ru(bpy)(py)4]2+. Ultrafast Interligand Randomization of the MLCT State
- 2005
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Ingår i: J. Phys. Chem. A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). ; :109, s. 4697-4704
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is known that the relaxed excited state of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ is best described as a metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) state having one formally reduced bipyridine and two neutral. Previous reports have suggested [Malone, R. et al. J.Chem. Phys 1991, 95, 8970] that the electron "hops" from ligand to ligand in the MLCT state with a time constant of about 50 ps in acetonitrile. However, we have done transient absorption anisotropy measurements indicating that already after one picosecond the molecule has no memory of which bipyridine was initially photoselected, which suggest an ultrafast interligand randomization of the MLCT state.
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| 8. |
- Abdellah, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
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Competitive Hole Transfer from CdSe Quantum Dots to Thiol Ligands in CdSe-Cobaloxime Sensitized NiO Films Used as Photocathodes for H-2 Evolution
- 2017
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Ingår i: ACS Energy Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2380-8195. ; 2:11, s. 2576-2580
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Quantum dot (QD) sensitized NiO photocathodes rely on efficient photoinduced hole injection into the NiO valence band. A system of a mesoporous NiO film co-sensitized with CdSe QDs and a molecular proton reduction catalyst was studied. While successful electron transfer from the excited QDs to the catalyst is observed, most of the photogenerated holes are instead quenched very rapidly (ps) by hole trapping at the surface thiols of the capping agent used as linker molecules. We confirmed our conclusion by first using a thiol free capping agent and second varying the thiol concentration on the QD's surface. The later resulted in faster hole trapping as the thiol concentration increased. We suggest that this hole trapping by the linker limits the H-2 yield for this photocathode in a device.
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| 9. |
- Axelsson, Martin, 1993-
(författare)
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Illuminating Benzothiadiazole : Mechanistic Insights into its Role in Fuel-Forming Reactions
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Development and understanding of catalytic reactions involved in fuel formation are crucial to be able to make the energy transition into a sustainable future. One intriguing type of catalyst for these types of reactions is organic material catalysts, which combine some of the tunable nature of molecular catalysts with the scalability and robust nature of material catalysts. The understanding of the catalytic mechanisms in these types of materials is still a work in progress. In the last decade D-A type polymers have gotten a lot of attention as potential photocatalysts for fuel-forming reactions but currently, the mechanisms in which these reactions take place are very limited.This thesis focuses on the molecular unit benzothiadiazole (BT) and its role in catalytic fuel-forming reactions across various molecules and polymers. In paper I: The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is investigated on the small molecule 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7dicarbonitrile (BT). The study reveals that BTDN serves as an electrocatalyst for the HER. Some catalytic intermediates were identified spectroscopically and a catalytic mechanism was proposed.In papers II and III: Polymeric nanoparticles (Pdots) based on the polymer poly(9,9- dioctylfluorene-alt-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (PFBT) were investigated for photocatalytic fuel-forming reactions. First, the HER was explored and it emphasised the significance of proton binding to the BT unit as a catalytic intermediate. It also showed that changing to basic conditions can quench the HER and make place for CO2 reduction to CO and that PFBT Pdots exhibit good selectivity in catalyzing this reaction.Finally, in Paper IV, the binding and reduction of CO2 on the molecule BTDN were investigated. It was shown that BTDN can bind CO2 in multiple reduced states and reduce it to CO and oxalate in a third reduction, albeit with seemingly low efficiencies.
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| 10. |
- Cappel, Ute B., et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of the Interface Properties and Processes in Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing a Perylene Sensitizer
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 115:10, s. 4345-4358
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We recently reported on a perylene sensitizer, ID176, which performs much better in solid state dye-sensitized solar cells than in those using liquid electrolytes with iodide/tri-iodide as the redox couple (J. Phys. Chem. C2009, 113, 14595-14597). Here, we present a characterization of the sensitizer and of the TiO2/dye interface by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, photoelectron spectroscopy, electroabsorption spectroscopy, photoinduced absorption spectroscopy, and femtosecond transient absorption measurements. We report that the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer is red-shifted by addition of lithium ions to the surface due to a downward shift of the excited state level of the sensitizer, which is of the same order of magnitude as the downward shift of the titanium dioxide conduction band edge. Results from photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemistry suggest that the excited state is largely located below the conduction band edge of TiO2 but that there are states in the band gap of TiO2 which might be available for photoinduced electron injection. The sensitizer was able to efficiently inject into TiO2, when a lithium salt was present on the surface, while injection was much less effective in the absence of lithium ions or in the presence of solvent. In the presence of the hole conductor 2,2-,7,7-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) and LiTFSI, charge separation was monitored by the emergence of a Stark shift of the dye in transient absorption spectra, and both injection and regeneration appear to be completed within 1 ps. Regeneration by spiro-MeOTAD is therefore several orders of magnitude faster than regeneration by iodide, and ID176 can even be photoreduced by spiro-MeOTAD.
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