Ultrafast laser spectroscopy uncovers mechanisms of light energy conversion in photosynthesis and sustainable energy materials

The invention of the laser in 1960 gave us ruby laser, which generally produced chaotic pulses light. Six years later, 1966, a concept called passive mode-locking applied to neodymium-glass lasers reasonably well-behaving picosecond pulses. This triggered an intense activity, with respect developing improved pulse sources, measurement techniques, and application chemistry, physics, biology. Initially, only ∼10 –ps-long at few wavelengths were available. Nevertheless, insight into function complex biological systems, like photosynthetic proteins, molecules chemical interest was gained very early studies. Today, both duration color ultrashort can be tuned almost any value. has course opened up possibilities study atomic, molecular, or solid-state system dynamic process. review focuses on use spectroscopy investigate light energy conversion mechanisms natural photosynthesis topical selection novel materials for solar conversion. More specifically, we will harvesting primary electron transfer; that discuss include sensitized semiconductors (dye cells), polymer:fullerene polymer:polymer bulk heterojunctions (organic organometal halide perovskites, as well molecular hybrid systems production fuel valuable chemicals. All these scientific areas, particular cell materials, have been extensively studied ultrafast spectroscopy, resulting vast literature; comprehensive individual is, therefore, not feasible, limit our discussion work think importance understanding respective systems.