MRI: Acquisition of a Pulsed Laser/Detection System for Time-Resolved Studies of Molecular Complexes

有了这项来自主要研究仪器（MRI）计划的奖项，惠顿学院的Maria Buthelezi教授及其同事John柯林斯和Xuessheng Chen将获得一个脉冲激光/检测系统，该系统包括一个可调谐染料激光系统，一个检测系统和一个低温制冷系统。该奖项将加强各级的研究培训和教育，特别是在（a）光致变色分子的主体/客体相互作用的研究和（B）固态材料的发光特性方面。可调谐激光器是其工作波长可以以受控方式改变的激光器。染料激光器使用有机染料作为激光介质，给出了可以在宽波长范围内使用的系统。一些染料可以是通过荧光发光的大分子。可调谐染料激光器/检测系统将使激发态寿命和时间分辨的荧光测量，这是重要的几个过程中发生的分子复合物的调查：辐射衰减，导致构象状态，非线性能量转移过程，和荧光猝灭机制。该仪器还将促进惠顿学院化学，物理和生物学之间的跨学科课程和研究互动。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, Professor Maria Buthelezi from Wheaton College and colleagues John Collins and Xuesheng Chen will acquire a pulsed laser/detection system with a tunable dye laser system, a detection system, and a cryogenic refrigerator system. The award will enhance research training and education at all levels, especially in the areas of (a) studies of host/guest interactions of photochromic molecules, and (b) luminescence properties of solid state materials. A tunable laser is a laser whose wavelength of operation can be altered in a controlled manner. The dye laser uses an organic dye as the lasing medium giving a system that can be used over a broad range of wavelengths. Some of the dyes can be large molecules that emit light via fluorescence. The tunable dye laser/detection system will enable excited-state lifetime and time-resolved fluorescence measurements that are important to the investigation of several processes that occur in molecular complexes: radiative decay that leads to conformational states, non-linear energy transfer processes, and fluorescence quenching mechanisms. This instrumentation will also foster the interdisciplinary curricular and research interactions between chemistry, physics and biology at Wheaton College.