Ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) vibrational echo spectroscopy has proven broadly useful for studying molecular dynamics in solutions. Here, we extend the technique to probing the interfacial dynamics and structure of a silica surface-tethered transition metal carbonyl complex--tricarbonyl (1,10-phenanthroline)rhenium chloride--of interest as a photoreduction catalyst. We interpret the data using a theoretical framework devised to separate the roles of structural evolution and excitation transfer in inducing spectral diffusion. The structural dynamics, as reported on by a carbonyl stretch vibration of the surface-bound complex, have a characteristic time of ~150 picoseconds in the absence of solvent, decrease in duration by a factor of three upon addition of chloroform, and decrease another order of magnitude for the bulk solution. Conversely, solvent-complex interactions increase the lifetime of the probed vibration by 160% when solvent is applied to the monolayer.

An imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence spectrometer at the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) beamline of the Swiss Light Source is presented and a few initial measurements are reported. Monochromatic synchrotron VUV radiation ionizes the cooled or thermal gas-phase sample. Photoelectrons are velocity focused, with better than 1 meV resolution for threshold electrons, and also act as start signal for the ion time-of-flight analysis. The ions are accelerated in a relatively low, 40-80 V cm(-1) field, which enables the direct measurement of rate constants in the 10(3)-10(7) s(-1) range. All electron and ion events are recorded in a triggerless multiple-start/multiple-stop setup, which makes it possible to carry out coincidence experiments at >100 kHz event frequencies. As examples, the threshold photoelectron spectrum of the argon dimer and the breakdown diagrams for hydrogen atom loss in room temperature methane and the chlorine atom loss in cold chlorobenzene are shown and discussed.

The structural dynamics of thin films consisting of tricarbonyl (1,10-phenanthroline)rhenium chloride (RePhen(CO)3Cl) linked to an alkyl silane monolayer through a triazole linker synthesized on silica-on-calcium-fluoride substrates are investigated using ultrafast infrared (IR) techniques. Ultrafast 2D IR vibrational echo experiments and polarization selective heterodyne detected transient grating (HDTG) measurements, as well as polarization dependent FT-IR and AFM experiments are employed to study the samples. The vibrational echo experiments measure spectral diffusion, while the HDTG experiments measure the vibrational excited state population relaxation and investigate the vibrational transition dipole orientational anisotropy decay. To investigate the anticipated impact of vibrational excitation transfer, which can be caused by the high concentration of RePhen(CO)3Cl in the monolayer, a concentration dependence of the spectral diffusion is measured. To generate a range of concentrations, mixed monolayers consisting of both hydrogen terminated and triazole/RePhen(CO)3Cl terminated alkyl silanes are synthesized. It is found that the measured rate of spectral diffusion is independent of concentration, with all samples showing spectral diffusion of 37 ± 6 ps. To definitively test for vibrational excitation transfer, polarization selective HDTG experiments are conducted. Excitation transfer will cause anisotropy decay. Polarization resolved heterodyne detected transient grating spectroscopy is sensitive to anisotropy decay (depolarization) caused by excitation transfer and molecular reorientation. The HDTG experiments show no evidence of anisotropy decay on the appropriate time scale, demonstrating the absence of excitation transfer the RePhen(CO)3Cl. Therefore the influence of excitation transfer on spectral diffusion is inconsequential in these samples, and the vibrational echo measurements of spectral diffusion report solely on structural dynamics. A small amount of very fast (~2 ps time scale) anisotropy decay is observed. The decay is concentration independent, and is assigned to wobbling-in-a-cone orientational motions of the RePhen(CO)3Cl. Theoretical calculations reported previously for experiments on a single concentration of the same type of sample suggested the presence of some vibrational excitation transfer and excitation transfer induced spectral diffusion. Possible reasons for the experimentally observed lack of excitation transfer in these high concentration samples are discussed.

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We present resonant two-photon ionization and IR-UV double resonance spectra of methylated xanthine derivatives including 7-methylxanthine dimer and theobromine dimer seeded in a supersonic jet by laser desorption. For 7-methylxanthine, theophylline and theobromine monomer we assign the lowest energy tautomer based on comparison with IR-UV double resonance spectra and calculated IR frequencies. For the 7-methylxanthine dimer, we observe hydrogen bonding on the N3H position suggesting 3 possible combinations, one that is reverse Watson-Crick type and two that are reverse Hoogsteen type. For the theobromine dimer, we observe a stacked structure. For trimethylxanthine dimers we infer a stacked structure as well.