Project Goals

The aim is the real-time determination of ultrafast structural dynamics of molecular and biomolecular systems in the condensed phase.

This project aims at a real-time observation of ultrafast molecular processes in the condensed phase, addressing the dynamics of elementary excitations, photo-induced chemical reactions and ultrafast changes of the electronic and/or chemical structure of molecular systems. Hydrogen bond dynamics of constitute a major fraction of the research. Chemical reactions studied include hydrogen and proton transfer, electron transfer, bond fission, ring-opening/closure and cis/trans isomerizations. These activities fall in the field of ultrafast chemistry, also known as femtochemistry. The project makes use of a broad range of experimental techniques including all-optical pump-probe spectroscopy in a range from the mid-infrared to soft-x-ray, infrared photon-echo and multidimensional vibrational spectroscopies, and photoelectron spectroscopy using ultrashort VUV pulses.

1. Femtosecond IR spectroscopy as a tool to explore ultrafast hydrogen bond dynamics in hydrated DNA

Topics

• Hydrogen bond dynamics in hydrated biomimetic and biomolecular systems
• Transient structure determination of hydrogen bonded acid-base pairs
• Charge transport in biomimetic and biological systems
• Electronic excited state dynamics in molecular model systems

Key Publications

• Key publications

• Full list of project related publications

Highlights

• Breaking news: Water makes the proton shake – ultrafast motions and fleeting geometries in proton hydration
• Highlights in project 3.1: Overview