Photochemical dynamics of molecular switches

Ashworth, Eleanor (2022) Photochemical dynamics of molecular switches. Masters thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Photoswitches form a general and versatile family of compounds whose properties change in response to the absorption of light. They range from naturally-occurring chromophores that facilitate protein and enzyme activity, to synthetic compounds that are routinely deployed in technological applications, including optogenetics, biological fluorescent tags, sunscreens, and optoelectronics. The photochemical dynamics of photoswitches are driven by a combination of the intrinsic dynamics and environmental influences, for example, solvent and temperature. This thesis explores the photophysics of three families of photoswitch molecules: (i) a selection of deprotonated chromophore
derivatives of green fluorescent protein, (ii) an anionic model chromophore for photoactive yellow protein, and (iii) a series of synthetic dithienylethene compounds targeted for development into optoelectronics. The intrinsic photophysics and environmental impacts are probed using a range of experimental methods, including photodissociation action spectroscopy, ultrafast fluorescence up-conversion (_50 fs time resolution), and time-resolved fluorescence (<700 ps time resolution). The experimental data are interpreted with the aid of electronic structure calculations.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Chemistry
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	19 Aug 2022 08:45
Last Modified:	19 Aug 2022 08:45
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/87496
DOI:

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