Laser-induced transient absorption and photoacoustic spectrometer

• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry
• Term: Funded in 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465340770

The photophysical investigation of functional materials plays a fundamental role towards an in-depth understanding of excited state properties at (supra)molecular level. For ongoing and future projects at local, national, and international level, state of the art spectrally and temporally resolved characterization methods are required; hence, laser-induced transient absorption spectroscopy needs to be combined with photoacoustic spectroscopy. This will constitute a unique combination that is presently not available in this form, while enabling the detection of non-luminescent states.Measuring the properties of dark excited states from monomeric or aggregated molecules in solutions, homogeneous matrices, fibres, nano- or microparticles with spectral and temporal resolution at variable temperatures poses a particular challenge. This also applies when the excited state properties of photosensitizers, fluorescent or phosphorescent probes need to be assessed with spectral and temporal resolution in culture media, bacteria, organelles and cells. In particular, the specific interactions with matrixial, bacterial and eukaryotic (hosts cells or protozoic parasites) components need to be monitored. This includes photoinduced charge- or energy-transfer processes leading to non-luminescent states with variable lifetimes or to radical ions. These challenges will be overcome with the requested instrumentation, which will enable the detection of such species, besides the quantification of their energy content. This combination of transient absorption and photoacoustic spectroscopies will boost the development of new labelling techniques for molecular bioimaging and phototherapeutic strategies while leading to new concepts for optoelectronics.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Absorptions- und Photoakustikspektrometer
• Instrumentation Group: 1860 Spezielle Spektrographen und Spektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Leader: Professor Dr. Cristian Alejandro Strassert