Akifumi Ikehata

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering and background light emission coupled with plasmon of single Ag nanoaggregates

We investigated the optical properties of isolated single aggregates of Ag nanoparticles (Ag nanoaggregates) on which rhodamine 6G molecules were adsorbed to reveal experimentally a correlation among plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), and its background light emission. From the lack of excitation-laser energy dependence of background emission maxima we concluded that the background emission is luminescence, not Raman scattering. The polarization dependence of both SERRS and background emission was the same as that of the lowest-energy plasmon resonance maxima, which is associated with a longitudinal plasmon. From the common polarization dependence, we identified that the lowest-energy plasmon is coupled with both SERRS and background emission. In addition, we revealed that the lowest-energy plasmon with a higher quality factor (Q factor) yields larger SERRS and background emission intensity. Also, we identified that the Q factor dependence of the SERRS intensity was similar to that of the background emission intensity. This similarity directly supported us to demonstrate an enhancement of both SERRS and background emission by coupling with a common plasmon radiative mode.

Direct observation of the absorption bands of the first electronic transition in liquid H2O and D2O by attenuated total reflectance far-UV spectroscopy.

Absorption bands of the first electronic transition (X (1)A(1)-->A (1)B(1)) of water (H(2)O) and heavy water (D(2)O) in the liquid state have been directly observed by using a uniquely designed attenuated total reflectance far-ultraviolet (ATR-FUV) spectrometer. Since the ATR geometry reduces the absorbance, the FUV spectra can be obtained over the entire X (1)A(1)-->A (1)B(1) absorption band, including the band maxima. Systematic measurements of the FUV spectra of H(2)O and D(2)O with heating from 10 to 70 degrees C and the analysis of Kramers-Kronig transformation reveal that the first electronic transition band redshifted on heating. This result is in good agreement with the redshift that has been frequently observed in the low-energy band tail of the X (1)A(1)-->A (1)B(1) absorption band.

An attenuated total reflectance far-UV spectrometer

An ultraviolet spectrometer based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) has been developed and tested for liquid water (light and heavy water) in the wavelength range from 140 to 300 nm, which includes the far ultraviolet (FUV) region. One of the principal limitations of FUV transmission spectra is the strong absorption of the solvent itself. High absorptivity of the n --> sigma(*) transition in water molecule has thus far prevented meaningful spectral measurements of aqueous solutions in the wavelength region under 170 nm. Our technique uses the evanescent wave created through total reflection when light is passed through an internal reflection element (IRE) in contact with the sample. Since the evanescent field is used as an optical path length, the method allows spectral measurements favorably comparable with that of transmittance method with a shorter path length than the wavelength of FUV light. In this study, we have designed an original miniature IRE probe made of sapphire that allows detection of the whole n --> sigma(*) transition absorption band of water down to 140 nm. The obtained ATR-FUV spectra closely match calculations based on the Fresnel formula. It is also confirmed that this spectrometer is equally effective for spectral measurements of nonaqueous solvents with significant absorptivities in the FUV region.

Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy in the Solid and Liquid States: A Review

Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy has long been used together with visible (Vis) spectroscopy to investigate electronic transitions of a molecule. Most studies of the electronic structure of molecules using UV spectroscopy have been carried out in the 190–380 nm region because commercial UV-Vis spectrometers are available only for that region. The wavelength region shorter than 190 nm is also very rich in information about the electronic states and structure of a molecule, but the absorptivity is very high in this region, and thus, this region has been employed to investigate mainly the electronic states and structure of gas molecules. Because condensed-phase materials with high molecular density do not transmit much light in the shorter wavelength region of the UV, reflection spectroscopy has been used to observe spectra of solid samples in the wavelength region shorter than 190 nm. However, for liquid samples one cannot generally use either absorption spectroscopy or specular reflection spectroscopy. Accordingly, UV spectroscopy in this region for liquid samples has been a relatively undeveloped research area. To solve the above difficulties of UV spectroscopy in the wavelength region shorter than 190 nm we have recently developed a totally new UV spectrometer based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) that enables us to measure spectra of liquid and solid samples in the 140–280 nm region. We will show that spectroscopy in the wavelength region shorter than 190 nm holds considerable promise not only in basic science but also in applications such as qualitative and quantitative analysis, on-line monitoring, environmental geochemical analysis, and surface analysis. The purpose of the present review paper is to report recent progress in UV spectroscopy of solid and liquid phases in the 140–280 nm region. In this review, we refer to the 120–200 nm region to as the far-UV (FUV) region. The term “vacuum UV region” is no longer appropriate for the 120–200 nm region because most recent spectrometers used in this region are not evacuated but instead incorporate a nitrogen purge. This review consists of eight parts: (1) introduction to FUV spectroscopy, (2) brief history of FUV spectroscopy, (3) development of new FUV spectrometers, (4) FUV studies of liquid water and aqueous solutions, (5) FUV spectra of organic molecules in the liquid states, (6) band assignments by quantum chemical calculations, (7) potential applications of FUV spectroscopy in liquid and solid states; and (8) future prospects of FUV spectroscopy.

Direct demonstration for changes in surface plasmon resonance induced by surface-enhanced Raman scattering quenching of dye molecules adsorbed on single Ag nanoparticles

Changes in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands induced by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) quenching of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules adsorbed on single Ag nanoparticles were investigated by light scattering microspectroscopy. It was found that SPR bands show a peak shift to a higher-energy side and that their intensities increase after SERS quenching. It was also revealed that these SPR bands are accompanied by an enhanced absorption band of R6G and that it has the same anisotropy as SERS and SPR bands. Assuming that the changes in the SPR bands are caused by the desorption of R6G molecules, we compared our experimental findings with calculation results obtained based on Rayleigh scattering theory.

Effect of cations on absorption bands of first electronic transition of liquid water.

The effect of cations (Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+)) on the first electronic transition (A <-- X) of liquid water was investigated by attenuated total reflection far ultraviolet spectroscopy. To negate the effect of anions, aqueous solutions of 1 M alkali metal nitrates and bromides were compared at a temperature of 25 degrees C. It is found that the peak energy of the A <-- X band of water, which shows a marked red shift with decreasing hydrogen-bond strength, decreases with increasing cation size. The peak energies of the A <-- X band can be approximated by a linear function of the inverse of the ionic radii of the alkali metal cations, which indicates (according to the Born equation) that the first electronic transition of water is characterized by the solvation energy of the cations.

Low-n Rydberg transitions of liquid ketones studied by attenuated total reflection far-ultraviolet spectroscopy.

Far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra in the 8.55-6.20 eV (145-200 nm) region were measured for several kinds of ketones in the liquid phase to investigate low-n Rydberg transitions using a uniquely developed technique of attenuated total reflection (ATR) FUV spectrometry. Assignments of the transitions are attempted for absorptions in this region by comparing the spectra for the liquid phase with those for the gas phase and ab initio calculations at the equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory with single and double substitutions at the aug-cc-pVDZ level. The transition from a nonbonding electron (n) to the 3s Rydberg orbital was found at around 6.7 eV for all investigated liquid ketones. Another intense band also appeared in the higher-energy region (ca. 8.5 eV) for all the ketones. A significant shoulder was found at around 7.4 eV for branched ketones. This shoulder band near 7.4 eV was assigned to the n-3p Rydberg transition. Band broadening and higher energy shifts were observed in the spectra of the liquid phase ketones in comparison with those of the gas phase ketones.

Far-Ultraviolet Spectra of n-Alkanes and Branched Alkanes in the Liquid Phase Observed Using an Attenuated Total Reflection—Far Ultraviolet (ATR-FUV) Spectrometer

Far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra of n-alkanes (n = 5–14) and branched alkanes were measured in their liquid state by using a newly developed attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FUV spectrometer to investigate spectra–structure relationship in the FUV region. The n-alkanes show a broad band near 8.3 eV and a weak shoulder near 7.7 eV. The 8.3 eV band shows a lower energy shift with a significant intensity increase with the increase in the length of alkyl chain. We have assigned the 8.3 eV band to the overlap of two bands due to the transition from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to 3p and that from the HOMO-1 to 3s based on the observation that the peak energy of the 8.3 eV band of the n-alkanes is proportional to the first ionization energy. The 7.7 eV shoulder may be due to the transition from HOMO to 3s. The intensity of the 7.7 eV band increases markedly in the order of alkanes without branch, with tertiary, and with quaternary carbon atoms. It is very likely that the forbidden transition from HOMO to 3s becomes allowed by the large decrease in symmetry upon going from the n-alkanes to the branched ones with the quaternary carbon, respectively.

The effect of metal cations on the nature of the first electronic transition of liquid water as studied by attenuated total reflection far-ultraviolet spectroscopy

The first electronic transition (Ã←X̃) of liquid water was studied from the perspective of the hydration of cations by analyzing the attenuated total reflection far-ultraviolet (ATR-FUV) spectra of the Group I, II, and XIII metal nitrate electrolyte solutions. The Ã←X̃ transition energies of 1 M electrolyte solutions are higher (Li(+): 8.024 eV and Cs(+): 8.013 eV) than that of pure water (8.010 eV) and linearly correlate with the Gibbs energies of hydration of the cations. The increases in the Ã←X̃ transition energies are mostly attributable to the hydrogen bond formation energies of water molecules in the ground state induced by the presence of the cations. The deviation from the linear relation was observed for the high charge density cations, H(+), Li(+), and Be(2+), which reflects that the electronic energies in the excited states are also perturbed. Quantum chemical calculations show that the Ã←X̃ transition energies of the water-cation complexes depend on the hydration structures of the cations. The calculated Ã←X̃ transition energies of the water molecules hydrating high charge density cations spread more widely than those of the low charge density cations. The calculated transition energy spreads of the water-cation complexes directly correlate with the widths of the Ã←X̃ transition bands measured by ATR-FUV spectroscopy.

Electronic Transitions of Protonated and Deprotonated Amino Acids in Aqueous Solution in the Region 145–300 nm Studied by Attenuated Total Reflection Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

The electronic transitions of 20 naturally occurring amino acids in aqueous solution were studied with attenuated total reflection far-ultraviolet (ATR-FUV) spectroscopy in the region from 145 to 300 nm. From the measured ATR spectra of sample solutions, the FUV absorption spectra attributed to the amino acids were separated from the intense solvent absorption by using a modified Kramers-Kronig transformation method. The FUV absorption spectra of the amino acids reflect the protonation states of the backbone and side-chain structures. The contributions of the side chains to the spectra were also examined from the difference spectra subtracting the corresponding Gly spectrum from each spectrum. The observed spectra were compared mostly with the electronic transition studies of the molecular fragments of the amino acids in gas phase. The FUV spectra of the amino acids exhibited the intra- and intermolecular electronic interactions of the solute-solute as well as the solute-solvent, and those are essential factors to elucidate UV photochemical processes of the amino acids in aqueous solution.