Photosynthesis is a highly optimized process from which valuable lessons can be learned about the operating principles in nature. Its primary steps involve energy transport operating near theoretical quantum limits in efficiency. Recently, extensive research was motivated by the hypothesis that nature used quantum coherences to direct energy transfer. This body of work, a cornerstone for the field of quantum biology, rests on the interpretation of small-amplitude oscillations in two-dimensional electronic spectra of photosynthetic complexes. This Review discusses recent work reexamining these claims and demonstrates that interexciton coherences are too short lived to have any functional significance in photosynthetic energy transfer. Instead, the observed long-lived coherences originate from impulsively excited vibrations, generally observed in femtosecond spectroscopy. These efforts, collectively, lead to a more detailed understanding of the quantum aspects of dissipation. Nature, rather than trying to avoid dissipation, exploits it via engineering of exciton-bath interaction to create efficient energy flow.

Natural and artificial light-harvesting processes have recently gained new interest. Signatures of long-lasting coherence in spectroscopic signals of biological systems have been repeatedly observed, albeit their origin is a matter of ongoing debate, as it is unclear how the loss of coherence due to interaction with the noisy environments in such systems is averted. Here we report experimental and theoretical verification of coherent exciton–vibrational (vibronic) coupling as the origin of long-lasting coherence in an artificial light harvester, a molecular J-aggregate. In this macroscopically aligned tubular system, polarization-controlled 2D spectroscopy delivers an uncongested and specific optical response as an ideal foundation for an in-depth theoretical description. We derive analytical expressions that show under which general conditions vibronic coupling leads to prolonged excited-state coherence.

Triarylamines are demonstrated as novel, tunable electroactivated photocatalysts that use dispersion precomplexation to harness the full potential of the visible photon (>4.0 V vs. SCE) in anti-Kasha photo(electro)chemical super-oxidations of arenes.

Herein, we report on a molecular catalyst embedding metal–organic framework (MOF) that enables enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity. A benchmark photocatalyst fac-ReBr­(CO)3(4,4′-dcbpy) (dcbpy = dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine) and photosensitizer Ru­(bpy)2(5,5′-dcbpy)­Cl2 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) were synergistically entrapped inside the cages of the nontoxic and inexpensive MIL-101-NH2(Al) through noncovalent host–guest interactions. The heterogeneous material improved Re catalyst stabilization under photocatalytic CO2 reduction conditions as selective CO evolution was prolonged from 1.5 to 40 h compared to the MOF-free photosystem upon reactivation with additional photosensitizer. By varying ratios of immobilized catalyst to photosensitizer, we demonstrated and evaluated the effect of reaction environment modulation in defined MOF cages acting as a nanoreactor. This illustrated the optimal efficiency for two photosensitizers and one catalyst per cage and further led to the determination of ad hoc relationships between molecular complex size, MOF pore windows, and number of hostable molecules per cage. Differing from typical homogeneous systems, photosensitizerand not catalystdegradation was identified as a major performance-limiting factor, providing a future route to higher turnover numbers via a rational choice of parameters.

In this work we analyze how nuclear coherences modulate diagonal and off-diagonal peaks in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy. 2D electronic spectra of pinacyanol chloride are measured with 8 fs pulses, which allows coherent excitation of the 1300 cm(-1) vibrational mode. The 2D spectrum reveals both diagonal and off-diagonal peaks related to the vibrational mode. On early time scales, up to 30 fs, coherent dynamics give rise to oscillations in the amplitudes, positions, and shapes of the peaks in the 2D spectrum. We find an anticorrelation between the amplitude and the diagonal width of the two diagonal peaks. The measured data are reproduced with a model incorporating a high frequency mode coupled to an electronic two-level-system. Our results show that these anticorrelated oscillations occur for vibrational wavepackets and not exclusively for electronic coherences as has been assumed previously.

While the majority of the photochemical states and pathways related to the biological capture of solar energy are now well understood and provide paradigms for artificial device design, additional low-energy states have been discovered in many systems with obscure origins and significance. However, as low-energy states are naively expected to be critical to function, these observations pose important challenges. A review of known properties of low energy states covering eight photochemical systems, and options for their interpretation, are presented. A concerted experimental and theoretical research strategy is suggested and outlined, this being aimed at providing a fully comprehensive understanding.

Pump-degenerate four wave mixing (pump-DFWM) is used to simultaneously study the early events in structural and electronic population dynamics of the non-adiabatic passage between two excited electronic states. After the precursor state S2 is populated by an initial pump beam, a DFWM sequence is set resonant with the S1 --> Sn transition on the successor state S1. The information obtained by pump-DFWM is two-fold: by scanning the delay between the initial pump and the DFWM sequence, the evolution of the individual excited-state modes is observed with a temporal resolution of 20 fs and a spectral resolution of 10 cm-1. Additionally, pump-DFWM yields information on electronic population dynamics, resulting in a comprehensive description of the S2 --> S1 internal conversion. As a system in which the interplay between structural and electronic evolution is of great interest, all-trans-beta-carotene in solution was chosen. The pump-DFWM signal is analyzed for different detection wavelengths, yielding results on the ultrafast dynamics between 1Bu+ (S2) and 2Ag- (S1). The process of vibrational cooling on S1 is discussed in detail. Furthermore, a low-lying vibrationally hot state is excited and characterized in its spectroscopic properties. The combination of highly resolved vibrational dynamics and simultaneously detected ultrafast electronic state spectroscopy gives a complete picture of the dynamics near a conical intersection. Because pump-DFWM is a pure time domain technique, it offers the prospect of coherent control of excited-state dynamics on an ultrafast time scale.

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2D) has been applied to beta-carotene in solution to shine new light on the ultrafast energy dissipation network in carotenoids. The ability of 2D to relieve spectral congestion provides new experimental grounds for resolving the rise of the excited state absorption signal between 18,000 and 19,000 cm(-1). In this spectral region, the pump-probe signals from ground state bleach and stimulated emission overlap strongly. Combined modeling of the time-evolution of 2D spectra as well as comparison to published pump-probe data allow us to draw conclusions on both the electronic structure of beta-carotene as well as the spectral densities giving rise to the observed optical lineshapes. To account for the experimental observations on all time scales, we need to include a transition in the visible spectral range from the first optically allowed excited state (S(2)-->S(n2)). We present data from frequency resolved transient grating and pump-probe experiments confirming the importance of this transition. Furthermore, we investigate the role and nature of the S* state, controversially debated in numerous previous studies. On the basis of the analysis of Feynman diagrams, we show that the properties of S*-related signals in chi(3) techniques like pump-probe and 2D can only be accounted for if S* is an excited electronic state. Against this background, we discuss a new interpretation of pump-deplete-probe and intensity-dependent pump-probe experiments.