Two-photon absorption (2PA) spectroscopy provides complementary, and sometimes more detailed, information about the electronic structure of a molecule relative to one-photon absorption (1PA) spectroscopy. However, our understanding of the 2PA processes is rather limited due to technical difficulties in measuring experimental 2PA spectra and theoretical challenges in computing higher-order molecular properties. This paper examines the 2PA spectroscopy of trans-stilbene, cis-stilbene, and phenanthrene by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The broadband 2PA spectra of all three compounds are measured under identical conditions in order to facilitate a direct comparison of the absolute 2PA cross sections in the range 3.5-6.0 eV. For comparison, the theoretical 2PA cross sections are computed using the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with single and double substitutions. Simulated 2PA spectra based on the calculations reproduce the main features of the experimental spectra in solution, although the quantitative comparison is complicated by a number of uncertainties, including limitations of the theoretical model, vibronic structure, broadening of the experimental spectra, and solvent effects. The systematic comparison of experimental and theoretical spectra for this series of structurally similar compounds provides valuable insight into the nature of 2PA transitions in conjugated molecules. Notably, the orbital character and symmetry-based selection rules provide a foundation for interpreting the features of the experimental 2PA spectra in unprecedented detail.

The photoisomerization dynamics of trans-stilbene have been well studied in the lowest excited state, but much less is known about the behavior following excitation to higher-lying electronically excited states. This contribution reports a combined study of the spectroscopy and dynamics of two-photon accessible states above S1. Two-photon absorption (2PA) measurements using a broadband pump-probe technique reveal distinct bands near 5.1 and 6.4 eV. The 2PA bands have absolute cross sections of 40 ± 16 and 270 ± 110 GM, respectively, and a pump-probe polarization dependence that suggests both of the transitions access Ag-symmetry excited states. Separate transient absorption measurements probe the excited-state dynamics following two-photon excitation into each of the bands using intense pulses of 475 and 380 nm light, respectively. The initially excited states rapidly relax via internal conversion, leading to the formation of an S1 excited-state absorption band that is centered near 585 nm and evolves on a time scale of 1-2 ps due to intramolecular vibrational relaxation. The subsequent evolution of the S1 excited-state absorption is identical to the behavior following direct one-photon excitation of the lowest excited state at 4.0 eV. The complementary spectroscopy and dynamics measurements provide new benchmarks for computational studies of the electronic structure and dynamics of this model system on excited states above S1. Probing the dynamics of molecules in their higher-lying excited states is an important frontier in chemical reaction dynamics.

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Two-photon activation of the p-hydroxyphenacyl (pHP) photoactivated protecting group is demonstrated for the first time using visible light at 550 nm from a pulsed laser. Broadband two-photon absorption measurements reveal a strong two-photon transition (>10 GM) near 4.5 eV that closely resembles the lowest-energy band at the same total excitation energy in the one-photon absorption spectrum of the pHP chromophore. The polarization dependence of the two-photon absorption band is consistent with excitation to the same S3 ((1)ππ*) excited state for both one- and two-photon activation. Monitoring the progress of the uncaging reaction under nonresonant excitation at 550 nm confirms a quadratic intensity dependence and that two-photon activation of the uncaging reaction is possible using visible light in the range 500-620 nm. Deprotonation of the pHP chromophore under mildly basic conditions shifts the absorption band to lower energy (3.8 eV) in both the one- and two-photon absorption spectra, suggesting that two-photon activation of the pHP chromophore may be possible using light in the range 550-720 nm. The results of these measurements open the possibility of spatially and temporally selective release of biologically active compounds from the pHP protecting group using visible light from a pulsed laser.

Raman microspectroscopy can be used to measure local physical properties of materials, such as the lattice parameter. Alpha decay induced lattice damage of plutonium dioxide (PuO 2 ) results in the growth of new bands and broadening of the T 2g band. A relationship between the change in the lattice parameter and storage time has been established in the literature using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Our measured time-dependent Raman spectra of PuO 2 particulates matches the XRD results. This new Raman spectroscopic technique can provide dating information on the time elapsed since the last calcination of PuO 2 using a single >5 μm particulate in contrast to 50 mg of 10-50 μm particles required by XRD.