Photocleavable Porphyrin Derivatives for Quantum Optics
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Optical control of molecular beams is intriguing as it promises to become a new tool for mass spectrometry and quantum interferometry, where a single or two photons deterministically remove a tailored tag from a larger molecular structure, e. g., a polypeptide. This cleavage process can change the charge state of the macromolecule, provide reporting signals for both fragments by mass spectrometry and it can selectively remove the fragments from a molecular beam by the momentum recoil generated in the dissociation process. Here, we explore a series of porphyrin derivatives as candidates for photocleavage in the gas phase. They share a large, conjugated core which promises a high absorption cross section for visible light. We present the individualization and beam formation of candidate molecules and study their photo‐dissociation under tunable, visible radiation. We observe a significant wavelength shift and broadening in the photocleavage cross section for molecules in the gas phase compared to those in solution and we find that a single photon can suffice to trigger the cleavage process.
Source: Helvetica Chimica Acta
Authors: Olga Rybakova, Josef Reisinger, Philipp Rieser, Philipp Geyer, Stefan Gerlich, Markus Arndt, Amal Kumar, Daniel Häussinger, Marcel Mayor, Valentin Köhler
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,030
OpenAlex ID: W4408879268