Speaker
Description
Interactions between proteins and their solvent environment can be studied in a bottom-up approach using hydrogen-bonded biomolecule-solvent clusters. The ultrafast dynamics following UV-light-induced electronic excitation of the biomolecular chromophores, potential radiation-damage, and their dependence on solvation are important open questions. Specific and precise studies of the microsolvation effect are challenging due to the inherent mix of the produced gas-phase aggregates.
We used the electric deflector to spatially separate different molecular species in combination with pump-probe velocity-map-imaging experiments, including applications of 3D "cameras" based on Timepix3. We demonstrated that this powerful experimental approach reveals intimate details, e.g., on the radiation damage of water-water and pyrrolewater dimers as well as on the UV-induced dynamics in the near-UV-absorbing prototypical biomolecular indole-water system.
We determined the time-dependent appearance of the different reaction products and disentangled the occurring ultrafast processes. This novel approach ensures that the reactants are well-known and that detailed characteristics of the specific reaction products are accessible – paving the way for the complete chemical-reactivity experiment.
- https://www.controlled-molecule-imaging.org/
