High energy of up to 800 nJ Vacuum UV pulses at 133 nm were generated by frequency tripling of second harmonic pulses of a Ti:sapphire amplifier in argon. Numerical simulations suggest six-wave-mixing as underlying nonlinear process.

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is performed on thymine and thymidine in aqueous solution to study the excited-state relaxation dynamics of these molecules. We find two contributions with sub-ps lifetimes in line with recent excited-state QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations (J. Chem. Phys. 2013, 139, 214304). The temporal evolution of ionization energies for the excited ππ* state along the QM/MM molecular dynamics trajectories were calculated and are compatible with experimental results, where the two contributions correspond to the relaxation paths in the ππ* state involving different conical intersections with the ground state. Theoretical calculations also show that ionization from the nπ* state is possible at the given photon energies, but we have not found any experimental indication for signal from the nπ* state. In contrast to currently accepted relaxation mechanisms, we suggest that the nπ* state is not involved in the relaxation process of thymine in aqueous solution.

We critically discuss recent results about CTTS dynamics in aqueous iodide solution.

Ionization of nitrogen by extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light from the Sun has recently been recognized as an important driver of chemical reactions in the atmosphere of Titan. XUV photons with energies of 24 eV and above convert inert nitrogen molecules into reactive neutral and ionic fragments that initiate chemical reactions. Understanding the XUV-induced fragmentation poses significant challenges to modern theory owing to its ultrafast time scales, complex electronic rearrangements, and strong dependence on the XUV photon energy. Here, we apply femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy to study dissociative ionization of nitrogen, the most abundant molecule in Titan's atmosphere, at selected XUV photon energies using a table-top XUV time-compensating monochromator. We probe the resulting dynamics using a time-delayed infrared (IR) ionization pulse. Coupled with ab initio calculations, the results allow us to assign the major dissociation channels resulting from production of an inner-valence hole, with important implications for models of Titan's XUV-driven atmospheric chemistry.

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is performed on aqueous guanosine solution to study its excited-state relaxation dynamics. Experimental results are complemented by surface hopping dynamic simulations and evaluation of the excited-state ionization energy by Koopmans' theorem. Two alternative models for the relaxation dynamics are discussed. The experimentally observed excited-state lifetime is about 2.5 ps if the molecule is excited at 266 nm and about 1.1 ps if the molecule is excited at 238 nm. The experimental probe photon energy dependence of the photoelectron kinetic energy distribution suggests that the probe step is not vertical and involves a doubly-excited autoionizing state.

We investigate non-adiabatic dynamics of NO molecules that are photo-excited in the vacuum ultraviolet photon energy range using time-resolved velocity map imaging. Highly excited valence and Rydberg states are populated with a tunable (147-151 nm) femtosecond laser pulse and then ionized by a time-delayed near-IR laser pulse. Three main contributions are observed in the photoelectron kinetic spectra with corresponding electron yields that show pronounced oscillations. Two oscillations are assigned to ro-vibronic coupling in the valence-Rydberg mixture of the B-'2 Delta (v = 7) and 4d delta N-2 Delta (v = 0) states and the B-2 Pi (v = 25) and 4p pi K-2 Pi (v = 1) states, respectively. We assign a third oscillation to originate from a coupling between two Rydberg states.

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to study the excited state dynamics of the DNA base adenine and its ribonucleoside adenosine in aqueous solution for pump and probe photon energies in the range between 4.66 eV and 5.21 eV. We follow the evolution of the prepared excited state on the potential energy surface and retrieve lifetimes of the S1 state under different excitation conditions.

Time resolved photoelectron spectroscopy explores the excited state dynamics of liquid water in presence of cations close to the surface. A transient hydrated electroncation complex is observed.

Time-resolved liquid jet photoelectron spectroscopy was used to explore the excited state dynamics at the liquid water surface in the presence of alkali cations. The data were evaluated with the help of ab initio calculations on alkali-water clusters and an extension of these results on the basis of the dielectric continuum model: 160 nm, sub-20 fs vacuum ultraviolet pulses excite water molecules in the solvent shell of Na(+) or K(+) cations and evolve into a transient hydrated complex of alkali-ion and electron. The vertical ionization energy of this transient is about 2.5 eV, significantly smaller than that of the solvated electron.

A photoinitiated intermolecular electron-proton transfer reaction in 2-aminopyridine dimer was investigated by femtosecond pump-probe electron-ion coincidence spectroscopy and accompanying theory. Excited-state population dynamics were observed in real time by time-resolved mass spectroscopy, and the respective excited-state character of locally excited and proton/hydrogen transfer states was identified in coincident electron spectra. Two reaction channels for an ultrafast (sub-50 fs) and a slower (approximately 75 ps) proton/hydrogen transfer were observed and indicate that vibrational energy redistribution may lead to efficient population trapping in the excited state. Spectroscopic evidence of an unexpected hydrogen-transfer reaction in photoexcited aminopyridine monomer is also presented.

The nature of the electronic interactions of the stacked nucleic-acid bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and uracil) in homodimer and -trimer complexes in their electronically excited states was investigated and analysed in terms of orbital-overlap and Coulombic interactions. The mutual orientations of the adjacent bases were selected so as to correspond to the A-and B-DNA conformations. The extent of the electronic interaction is larger for the former conformation. It is shown that the orbital-overlap interactions at the distance of two bases relevant to the DNA structure do not contribute significantly to the overall electronic coupling. Only the states which are caused by the (pi -> pi*) transitions manifest an electronic coupling.

The nature of the electronic coupling of stacked nucleic acid bases adenine (A), thymine (T), and cytosine (C), in A-A, T-T, and C-C complexes in their excited states was investigated; a different character of the electronic coupling for the T-T complex was shown.

In ab initio calculations the energetics and the equilibrium geometries of the ground and excited electronic states of the barium-fluoromethane complex are calculated. Furthermore the nonadiabatic coupling between two neighbouring electronic states is determined and discussed. This coupling should be responsible for the experimentally observed charge transfer reaction on the subpicosecond time scale.