Transient 2D-IR spectroscopy of inorganic excited states

Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy has been proven to be a powerful tool for investigating the structure, dynamics and reactivity of electronically-excited states of inorganic molecules. As applications drive the production of ever more complex molecules however, experimental tools that can deliver more detailed spectroscopic information, or separate multiple contributions to complex signals will become increasingly valuable. In this Perspective, the extension of ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of inorganic excited states to a second frequency dimension using transient 2D-IR spectroscopy (T-2D-IR) methods is discussed. Following a brief discussion of the experimental methodologies, examples will be given of applications of T-2D-IR ranging from studies of the spectroscopy, structure and dynamics of photochemical intermediates to new tools for correlating vibrational modes in ground and excited electronic states and the investigation of excited state solvation dynamics. Future directions for these experiments are also discussed.