CHIRALSCOPY · Probing Ultrafast Stereochemical Dynamics by Femtosecond Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-11-01 → 2021-10-31
- EU contribution
- €171,473
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Probing Ultrafast Stereochemical Dynamics by Femtosecond Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy
The development of time-resolved femtosecond broadband circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is a challenging but an important area of research. Measurements of CD signal requires very high detection sensitivity of the optical setups as CD is typically a very small signal (10000-100000 times weaker than absorption). Time resolved photoinduced CD variations are expected to be even smaller. Furthermore, broadband CD measurements are rendered more difficult by the polarization artifacts arising from the wavelength-dependent polarization sensitivity of optics employed in such optical setups. Among optical techniques, CD spectroscopy stands out for its unique senstivity towards chirality and molecular structure. The development of time resolved broadband CD spectroscopy is thus very crucial as it would allow one to gain fundamental insights into the reaction mechanisms and pathways. Such capability would impact many fields in science including protein folding/misfolding related to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and DNA photodamage which is the first step in the development of cancer. The goal of the CHIRALSCOPY project was to develop a high-sensitivity broadband circular dichroism spectrometer with femtosecond time resolution to study chiroptical and magneto-optical photophysics of biomolecules and materials.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Since the structure of a (bio)-molecule is crucially linked to its biochemical functions, following its evolution in the course of a chemical reaction or biological process would allow one to gain fundamental insights into the reaction mechanisms and pathways. This calls for optical spectroscopy techniques capable of recording structural dynamics with high time resolution, down to the femtosecond regime. Circular dichroism (CD), i.e. the difference in absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarised light, is a sensitive probe of the structure of chiral molecules. CHIRALSCOPY aims to develop an innovative time-resolved CD spectrometer which combines the structural sensitivity of steady-state CD spectroscopy with the high time resolution of ultrafast nonlinear optical spectroscopy. CHIRALSCOPY will adopt an innovative approach which directly measures in the time domain the chiral light field from a molecule by combining interferometric detection with optical heterodyne amplification. The state-of-the-art time-resolved CD instrument will be used to elucidate structural dynamics during a prototypical biochemical reaction. CHIRALSCOPY will equip the Experienced Researcher with new knowledge and skills in advanced optical technologies and biophysics, thus broadening his scientific background and enhancing his prospects as an independent researcher. At the same time, the Action and the Host Institution will benefit from the advanced knowledge in ultrafast spectroscopy acquired by Researcher during his PhD thesis. CHIRALSCOPY promises to open new vistas in the field of ultrafast optical spectroscopy enabling one to interrogate molecular dynamics with femtosecond temporal resolution and exquisite structural sensitivity−thus realising the chemist’s dream of a capturing a ‘molecular-motion-picture’ of a chemical reaction.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- POLITECNICO DI MILANO · MilanoCoordinatorItaly
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union