Molecular Electronics and Spectroscopy

Researchers: V. Fidler, P. Kapusta, M. Hof,
PhD student: P. Špulák
External collaborators: M. Nepraš, S. Nešpůrek, V. Čápek
Tel: +420-2 2191 2221
Fax: +420-2 6884818
e-mail: fidler@dec1.fjfi.cvut.cz


Our experimental research is devoted to the photophysics of new molecules and organised molecular systems exhibiting properties that are potentially important for molecular (opto)electronics. A broad scope of compounds is examined: relatively simple organic molecules (e.g. new fluorescent labels, fluorophores with extreme dipole moment change on excitation, etc.), multichromophoric molecular systems, and complex biomacromolecules, and new types of polymers. Syntheses of new compounds are being carried out in collaborating laboratories (M. Nepraš, University Pardubice, CR, mainly).

Experimental investigations utilise a broad range of optical spectroscopy: steady state absorption and fluorescence, nanosecond to femtosecond fluorescence lifetimes and anisotropy measurements, time-resolved non-linear techniques. Experiments are performed at home except for some ultrafast (fs) measurements that are jointly performed in collaborating laboratories abroad.

Kinetics of primary photophysical processes is spectroscopically followed in a real time. We apply various methods for re-convolution and multiparameter fitting of experimental data, as well as computer simulations of the relaxation processes in question. Quantum chemical calculations of relevant molecular structures are carried out in collaboration with other quantum chemists and physicists (Charles University, Prague).

Special attention is currently devoted to intra-molecular electronic excitation energy transfer, electron density redistribution, excitonic interactions, related molecular dynamics, and to the relationship of those processes with molecular micro-surrounding. Connection of such fast processes with non-linear optical and/or electrical molecular properties will be investigated.

Our group has close scientific contacts and collaborations with partner laboratories abroad, as in Himeji Institute of Technology in Japan, at University of Göttingen and Max-Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany; and Brown University, USA.


Projects supported by grants


List of Selected Publications and Conference Contributions

  1. Bradforth, S., Jimenez, R., Fidler, V., Fleming, G., Nagarajan, S., Norris, J., van Mourik, F., van Grondelle, R.: Ultrafast Energy Transfer in the Core Light Harvesting Complex of the Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodobacter Sphaeroides Observed by Fluorescence Upconversion. In: Ultrafast Phenomena IX., Springer-Verlag, 1994, p. 441.

  2. Vajda, S., Jimenez, R., Castner, Jr., E.W., Rosenthal, S.J., Fidler, V., Fleming, G.R.: Femtosecond through Nanosecond Time Scale Solvation Dynamics in Pure Water and Inside the *-Cyclodextrin Cavity. J.Chem.Soc. Faraday Trans. 91 1994, pp. 867-873

  3. Zhang, S.-L., Lang, M. J., Goodman, S., Durnell, C., Fidler, V., Fleming, G. R., Yang, N. C.,: Donor-Acceptor Interaction and Photochemistry of Polymethylene-Linked Bichromophores in Solution, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118 (1996), pp. 9042-9051

  4. Hof, M., Vajda, Š., Fidler, V., Karpenko, V.,: Picosecond Tryptophan Fluorescence of Human Blood Serum Orosomucoid. Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun., 61 (1996), pp. 808-818

  5. Hof, M., Fleming, G.R., Fidler, V.: Time-Resolved Fluorescence Study of a Calcium Induced Conformational Change in Prothrombin Fragment I. Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics, 24, 1996, pp. 485-494

  6. Hutterer, R., Schneider, F.W., Fidler, V., Grell, E., Hof, M.: Time-evolved Emission Spectra of Prodan and Patman in Large Unilamellar Vesicle. J. Fluor., 7(1), 1997, pp. 161-163.

  7. Nepraš, M., Machalický, O., Šeps, M., Hrdina, R., Kapusta, P., Fidler, V.: Structure and Properties of Fluorescent Reactive Dyes: Photophysics of Some Benzanthrone Derivatives. Dyes and Pigments 35, 1997, pp. 31-44

  8. Fidler, V., Kapusta, P., Nepraš, M., Schroeder, J., Rubtsov, I.V., Yoshihara, K.: Ultrafast Electronic Energy Flow in a Bichromophoric Molecule. Collect. Czech Chem. Commun. 63, 1998, pp. 1460-1472.

  9. Kapusta, P., Fidler, V., Nepraš, M., Blachut, T., Šeps, M.: 1-(Dichloro-1,3,5-Tria-zinyl)-Pyrene - A New Polarity Probe. in: Jan Slavik, ed., Fluorescence Microscopy and Fluorescence Probes Vol. 2, Plenum Press, New York 1998, pp. 133-139.

  10. Kapusta, P., Fidler, V., Nepraš, M., Šoustek, P., and Hof, M.;: Reactive fluorescent N-trazinyl-1-aminopyrene derivatives, in: Kotyk, A., Ed.: Fluorescence Microscopy and Fluorescent Probes 3, Espero Publishing, Czech Republic, (1999) pp. 145-151

  11. Nepraš, M., Urbanec, J., Kapusta P., and Fidler, V.: Dvojí fluorescence u některých derivátů 3-aminobenzanthronu, Chem. Listy, 94 (2000) 795-796

  12. Fidler, V., Kapusta, P., Nepraš, M., Schroeder, J., Rubtsov, I., V., and Yoshihara, K.: Femtosecond Fluorescence Anisotropy Kinetics as a Signature of Ultrafast Electronic Energy Transfer in Bichromophoric Molecules, Accepted to Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie, to be published in Apr./May (2001)