Photochemistry and Electron Transfer Studies

When a molecule absorbs a photon, it enters an excited state where electrons, protons, and charges can rearrange on timescales of picoseconds or less — processes that determine whether energy is stored, emitted as light, or lost as heat. Photochemistry and electron transfer research maps these ultrafast events, tracing how intramolecular charge transfer, proton migration, and interactions with surrounding solvent molecules shape the fates of electronically excited states. Understanding these dynamics has direct consequences for technologies like luminescent solar concentrators, which rely on dyes that absorb sunlight and funnel it to photovoltaic cells, as well as for the broader design of organic optoelectronic materials with predictable fluorescence yields. Open questions center on how hydrogen bonding networks modulate charge and proton transfer pathways, and on developing theoretical models accurate enough to guide molecular engineering before synthesis begins.

Works

85,129

Total citations

1,801,900

Keywords

Excited-State Proton TransferIntramolecular Charge TransferSolvation DynamicsLuminescent Solar ConcentratorsHydrogen BondingFluorescence Quantum Yields