Photochemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulating chemical reactions using laser pulses to control electron transfer is an attractive goal, however much of the underlying physics remains unexplored. Here the authors analyse and explain the intramolecular electronic transfer occurring during charge-separation in acetylene, a model donor-bridge-acceptor molecule.

    • Xunmo Yang
    • , Theo Keane
    •  & Eric R. Bittner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Monitoring interfacial electron transfer in photocatalytic systems is fundamentally important but experimentally challenging. Here the authors use mass spectrometry to detect and monitor intermediates formed through photoelectron transfer and to image active crystalline facets of semiconductor photocatalysts.

    • Hongying Zhong
    • , Juan Zhang
    •  & Zhiwei Yuan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    C–H bond functionalization has become an important tool for many organic transformations, however such reactions typically require stoichiometric amounts of external oxidants. Here the authors report the photo-driven decarboxylative C–H trifluoromethylation of arenes using only low amounts of oxidant.

    • Jin Lin
    • , Zhi Li
    •  & Yadong Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Functionalization of unactivated C–H bonds is an attractive strategy to introduce functionality without the need for pre-functionalized starting materials. Here the authors combine cobalt catalysis with photoredox catalysis, allowing arene-azole cross-coupling under oxidant-free conditions.

    • Linbin Niu
    • , Hong Yi
    •  & Aiwen Lei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photochemical reactions can limit the efficiency of organic solar cells. Here the authors show that strong coupling of organic molecules to a confined light mode can effectively suppress such reactions and convert normally unstable molecules into photostable forms.

    • Javier Galego
    • , Francisco J. Garcia-Vidal
    •  & Johannes Feist

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling the molecular sequence of polymers and oligomers is a challenging task. Here the authors use a photoligation approach to synthesise macromolecules with functionality at defined positions throughout the chain, and additionally decode the sequence information via tandem mass spectrometry.

    • Nicolas Zydziak
    • , Waldemar Konrad
    •  & Christopher Barner-Kowollik

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Interactions between reactive excited states of molecular photocatalysts and surrounding solvent can dictate reaction pathways, but are not readily accessible to conventional spectroscopic methods. Here the authors use diffuse X-ray scattering and theory to study the atomistic solvation dynamics of a photoexcited di-iridium complex in acetonitrile.

    • Tim B. van Driel
    • , Kasper S. Kjær
    •  & Kelly J. Gaffney

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in photodynamic cancer treatments is limited by low intraturmoural oxygen availability. Here the authors show that irradiation of a silicon phthalocyanine leads to uncaging of a biologically active molecule or to ROS formation in an oxygen-dependent manner.

    • Erin D. Anderson
    • , Alexander P. Gorka
    •  & Martin J. Schnermann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sulfur-substituted nucleobases are promising photo- and chemotherapeutic drugs. Here, the authors unravel the electronic and structural aspects that lead to the ultrafast population of triplet states in these molecules, providing an explanation for their efficiency as photosensitizers.

    • Sebastian Mai
    • , Marvin Pollum
    •  & Leticia González

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Lead-halide perovskites are sensitive to humidity, which limits their use in water splitting applications. Here, the authors protect the perovskite layer with Field’s metal, driving photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in an aqueous solution for approximately one hour under constant illumination.

    • Micaela Crespo-Quesada
    • , Luis M. Pazos-Outón
    •  & Erwin Reisner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photon upconversion can be used to harvest low energy photons, which are otherwise lost in solar cells. Here, Börjesson et al. use a well-oriented liquid crystal matrix to host the upconversion system in order to emit upconverted photons in a preferential direction, where the solar cells would be located.

    • K. Börjesson
    • , P. Rudquist
    •  & K. Moth-Poulsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While molecular photoswitches have proven useful in many fields, selective and reversible control over multiple switches is an unsolved challenge. Here, the authors report on a system consisting of two classes of photoswitches that can be addressed orthogonally and demonstrate the applicability in phase-transfer control.

    • Michael M. Lerch
    • , Mickel J. Hansen
    •  & Ben L. Feringa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal oxide semiconductors are promising materials for solar energy capture but can suffer from stability problems. Here, the authors present a methodology for evaluating corrosion mechanisms and apply it to BiVO4, revealing chemical instabilities that are not predicted from thermodynamic considerations alone.

    • Francesca M. Toma
    • , Jason K. Cooper
    •  & Ian D. Sharp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single-chirality, single-wall carbon nanotubes are attractive for bioimaging applications, however large-scale separation remains a challenge. Here, the authors utilize mixed surfactants for high-resolution single-chirality separation of (9,4) SWCNTs, demonstrating their improved performance for bioimaging.

    • Yohei Yomogida
    • , Takeshi Tanaka
    •  & Hiromichi Kataura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The success of a fluorescent dye as a molecular probe to monitor the intracellular activity of biomolecules depends on its physicochemical characteristics. Here, the authors use a predictive model to identify key features that allow them to design cell permeable, background-free fluorescent probes.

    • Samira Husen Alamudi
    • , Rudrakanta Satapathy
    •  & Young-Tae Chang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanoscale designs are known to increase the energy conversion efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, the authors report a self-organized nanocomposite formed by embedding self-assembled metal nanopillars in a semiconductor thin film, for enhanced photocarrier separation efficiency.

    • Seiji Kawasaki
    • , Ryota Takahashi
    •  & Mikk Lippmaa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The excitation of metal nanoparticles with light can lead to localized surface plasmon resonances, capable of driving chemical reactions in bound species. Here, the authors elucidate this mechanism and suggest that future plasmonic catalysts may be able to selectively activate specific chemical bonds.

    • Calvin Boerigter
    • , Robert Campana
    •  & Suljo Linic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bismuth vanadate is a promising photoanode for water-splitting, although its performance is limited by its wide bandgap. Here, the authors show that a gentle nitrogen treatment can result in nitrogen doping and oxygen vacancy generation, simultaneously reducing bandgap and increasing charge transport.

    • Tae Woo Kim
    • , Yuan Ping
    •  & Kyoung-Shin Choi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fitting current–voltage curves of organic solar cells with the Shockley equation often results in artificially high ideality factors. Here, the authors analyse inadequacy of the equation and propose an analytic model, which allows prediction of the efficiency potentials by explicit consideration of charge-carrier mobilities.

    • Uli Würfel
    • , Dieter Neher
    •  & Steve Albrecht

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The creation of functional 2D bottom-up nanosheets woven from molecular components remains a large challenge. Here, a bottom-up nanosheet featuring a photofunctional bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) complex motif is synthesized using interfacial syntheses, enabling a photoelectric conversion system.

    • Ryota Sakamoto
    • , Ken Hoshiko
    •  & Hiroshi Nishihara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Typically in asymmetric catalysis each product enantiomer is produced using a different enantiomer of catalyst. Here, the authors show a photoswitchable bisphosphine ligand, capable of altering the stereoselectivity of a palladium catalysed process and producing either enantiomer of product.

    • Depeng Zhao
    • , Thomas M. Neubauer
    •  & Ben L. Feringa

  • Article |

    Photochemical reactions are rarely observed at late stages in the biosynthesis of natural products. Here, the authors show that in the case of intricarene, instead of a concerted cycloaddition in the electronic ground state, the key step of the synthesis proceeds photochemically.

    • Desiree Stichnoth
    • , Patrick Kölle
    •  & Dirk Trauner

  • Article |

    Short pulses of atoms or molecules can act as sensitive probes for numerous physical and chemical systems, but they are typically limited to the microsecond scale. By exploiting short pulse laser photolysis, Kaufmann et al. present a method that can produce pulses of hydrogen atoms on sub-nanosecond scales.

    • Sven Kaufmann
    • , Dirk Schwarzer
    •  & Oliver Bünermann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Due to the delocalization of molecular orbitals, valence-shell spectroscopy does not allow distinction between individual atoms. Here, the authors show that for photoionization, the difference in mass—and hence recoil momentum—between atoms in a diatomic molecule allows site-selective emission to be observed.

    • Catalin Miron
    • , Quan Miao
    •  & Faris Gel'mukhanov

  • Article |

    Controlling the colour and pattern of emission in nanoscale objects is still a challenging goal. Here the authors report segmented micelles where the emission from each individual section can be precisely controlled, giving nanomaterials capable of producing colours throughout the visible range.

    • Zachary M. Hudson
    • , David J. Lunn
    •  & Ian Manners

  • Article |

    The ability to easily modulate a material’s photoluminescent properties in response to stimuli is difficult to achieve in liquid crystals. Here the authors report ionic liquid crystals exhibiting high fluorescent quantum yields with redox-dependent photoluminescence.

    • Amerigo Beneduci
    • , Sante Cospito
    •  & Giuseppe Chidichimo

  • Article |

    Photoreduction is a promising method for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide, but the dynamics of the process are unclear. Here, the authors explore the process via a pump–probe technique, revealing its ultrafast nature and the involvement of solvated electrons produced by irradiation of the solvent.

    • Régis Y. N. Gengler
    • , Daniel S. Badali
    •  & R. J. Dwayne Miller

  • Article |

    Membranes for molecular-level sieving based on processable, permeable polymers are desirable for industrial processes. Here, the authors report the photo-oxidative surface modification of these membranes, which results in asymmetric materials with high selectivity and permeability for gas separations.

    • Qilei Song
    • , Shuai Cao
    •  & Easan Sivaniah

  • Article |

    The atmosphere of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, consists of orange-yellow haze, but its formation and dynamics are not well understood. Here laboratory studies show that Titan’s lower atmosphere is photochemically active and the formation of complex prebiotic precursor molecules occurs at lower altitudes.

    • Murthy S. Gudipati
    • , Ronen Jacovi
    •  & Mark Allen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In artificial photosynthetic devices, conversion of light into electricity is thought to involve an incoherent electron transfer process. Rozzi et al.provide evidence for quantum-correlated wavelike motion inducing the ultrafast photoinduced electronic charge transfer in a light-harvesting supramolecular triad.

    • Carlo Andrea Rozzi
    • , Sarah Maria Falke
    •  & Christoph Lienau

  • Article |

    The ‘on’ and ‘off’ states of the photoswitchable protein Dronpa have been characterized, but the interconversion process remains poorly understood. Here the authors perform time-resolved ultrafast infrared measurements to follow both the structural changes and proton transfer events that occur during conversion.

    • Mark M. Warren
    • , Marius Kaucikas
    •  & Jasper J. van Thor

  • Article |

    Microbial metabolism is usually considered to be phototrophic or chemotrophic. By showing that light-induced photoelectrons from metal oxide and metal sulfides can stimulate the growth of chemoautotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, this study indicates that light may be involved in non-phototrophic microbial activity.

    • Anhuai Lu
    • , Yan Li
    •  & Hailiang Dong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assembly through molecular recognition events is used in the production of functionalized materials. This study shows that macroscopic gel assembly can be regulated through photoisomerization of an azobenzene moiety that interacts differently with two host molecules.

    • Hiroyasu Yamaguchi
    • , Yuichiro Kobayashi
    •  & Akira Harada

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