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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
06:08
Time-resolved Photophysical Characterization of Triplet-harvesting Organic Compounds at an Oxygen-free Environment Using an iCCD Camera
Published on: December 27, 2018
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Optical characterization of a single molecule complete spatial orientation using intra-molecular triplet-triplet
Remigiusz Trojanowicz1, Ludovic Douillard1, Lydia Sosa Vargas2
1Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, SPEC, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. simon.vassant@cea.fr.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|May 28, 2024
Summary
Researchers determined terrylene molecule orientation using optical methods. This breakthrough allows full 3D spatial characterization of single molecules, advancing fluorescence microscopy techniques.
Area of Science:
- Single-molecule spectroscopy
- Photophysics
- Molecular orientation
Background:
- Single-molecule fluorescence experiments characterize fluorophore properties, including photophysical rates and emission dipole moment orientation.
- Determining a molecule's orientation relative to its emission dipole moment remains a challenge in spatial characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally demonstrate the optical retrieval of full molecular orientation for single terrylene (Tr) molecules.
- To utilize orthogonal intra-molecular triplet-triplet absorption dipole moments for determining molecular orientation.
Main Methods:
- Second-order correlation measurements at varying excitation power and polarization.
- Utilizing a 3-level photophysical scheme for terrylene molecules.
- Analytical calculations of exciting electric field distribution.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated optically induced deshelving of triplet states in terrylene molecules.
- Successfully retrieved the complete 3D orientation of single terrylene molecules.
- Obtained photophysical rates and the orientation of the singlet emission dipole moment.
Conclusions:
- The developed method allows for the full spatial orientation retrieval of single molecules.
- This technique provides access to both molecular photophysics and complete 3D orientation.
- Advances in single-molecule characterization are achieved through optical manipulation of molecular states.
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