| 1. |
- Ge, Jing, et al.
(author)
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Bringing light into the dark triplet space of molecular systems
- 2015
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In: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 17:19, s. 13129-13136
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A molecule or a molecular system always consists of excited states of different spin multiplicities. With conventional optical excitations, only the (bright) states with the same spin multiplicity of the ground state could be directly reached. How to reveal the dynamics of excited (dark) states remains the grand challenge in the topical fields of photochemistry, photophysics, and photobiology. For a singlet-triplet coupled molecular system, the (bright) singlet dynamics can be routinely examined by conventional femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. However, owing to the involvement of intrinsically fast decay channels such as intramolecular vibrational redistribution and internal conversion, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to single out the (dark) triplet dynamics. Herein, we develop a novel strategy that uses an ultrafast broadband white-light continuum as a excitation light source to enhance the probability of intersystem crossing, thus facilitating the population flow from the singlet space to the triplet space. With a set of femtosecond time-reversed pump-probe experiments, we report on a proof-of-concept molecular system (i.e., the malachite green molecule) that the pure triplet dynamics can be mapped out in real time through monitoring the modulated emission that occurs solely in the triplet space. Significant differences in excited-state dynamics between the singlet and triplet spaces have been observed. This newly developed approach may provide a useful tool for examining the elusive dark-state dynamics of molecular systems and also for exploring the mechanisms underlying molecular luminescence/photonics and solar light harvesting.
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| 2. |
- Li, Deyang, et al.
(author)
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Ultraefficient Singlet Oxygen Generation from Manganese-Doped Cesium Lead Chloride Perovskite Quantum Dots
- 2020
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In: ACS Nano. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 14:10, s. 12596-12604
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lead halide perovskites hold promise for photo-voltaics, lasers, and light-emitting diode (LED) applications, being known as light-harvesting or -emitting materials. Here we show that colloidal lead halide CsPbCl3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), when incorporating divalent manganese (Mn2+) ions, are able to produce spin-paired singlet oxygen molecules with over-unit quantum yield (similar to 1.08) in air conditions. Our mechanistic studies and atomic-level density functional theory calculations endorse an energy-migration-mediated quantum cutting process favoring multiple singlet oxygen generation (MSOG), in which one exciton-activated bulk Mn2+ ion (similar to 2.0 eV) inside the nanocrystal migrates its energy among the Mn2+ sublattice to two surface Mn2+ defect states (similar to 1.0 eV), followed by nonradiative energy transfers to two surrounding oxygen molecules. Moreover, superhydrophobicization of MSOG PQDs through silica-mediated polystyrene encapsulation prevents them from disintegrating in aqueous medium, enabling photodegradation of methyl orange at a rate even higher than that of the canonical titanium oxide photocatalyst. The observation of ultraefficient singlet oxygen generation in PQDs has implications for fields ranging from photodynamic therapy to photocatalytic applications.
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| 3. |
- Zhang, Qun, et al.
(author)
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The Realistic Domain Structure of As-Synthesized Graphene Oxide from Ultrafast Spectroscopy
- 2013
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In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 135:33, s. 12468-12474
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Graphene oxide (GO) is an attractive alternative for large-scale production of graphene, but its general structure is still under debate due to its complicated nonstoichiometric nature. Here we perform a set of femto-second pump-probe experiments on as-synthesized GO to extrapolate structural information in situ. Remarkably, it is observed that, in these highly oxidized GO samples, the ultrafast graphene-like dynamics intrinsic to pristine graphene is completely dominant over a wide energy region and can be modified by the localized impurity states and the electron-phonon coupling under certain conditions. These observations, combined with the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and control experiments, lead to an important conclusion that GO consists of two types of domain, namely the carbon-rich graphene-like domain and the oxygen-rich domain. This study creates a new understanding of the realistic domain structure and properties of as-synthesized GO, offering useful guidance for future applications based on chemically modified/functionalized graphenes.
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