Publications

Some recent publications from our group are highlighted below. A full list of publications is available via google scholar.

Interconversion between Free Charges and Bound Excitons in 2D Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites

María C. Gélvez-Rueda, Eline M. Hutter, Duyen H. Cao, Nicolas Renaud, Constantinos C. Stoumpos, Joseph T. Hupp, Tom J. Savenije, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Ferdinand C. Grozema

In this work, we give a clear experimental demonstration of the interconversion between bound excitons and free charges as a function of temperature by combining microwave conductivity techniques with photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrate that the exciton binding energy varies strongly (between 80 and 370 meV) with the thickness of the inorganic layers.

J. Phys. Chem. C, 2017, 121, pp 26566–26574

Mechanically controlled quantum interference in individual π-stacked dimers

Riccardo Frisenda, Vera A. E. C. Janssen, Ferdinand C. Grozema, Herre S. J. van der Zant and Nicolas Renaud 

Quantum interference effects are known to have a strong effect on conduction through single molecules, however, similar effects can also be expected for π-stacked molecules.  Using a combination of ab initio calculations and single-molecule conductance measurements, we demonstrate the existence of a quasiperiodic destructive quantum-interference pattern along the breaking traces of π-stacked molecular dimers.

Nature Chemistry, 2016,8, pp 1099–1104.

Deep-hole transfer leads to ultrafast charge migration in DNA hairpins

Nicolas Renaud, Michelle A. Harris, Arunoday P. N. Singh, Yuri A. Berlin, Mark A. Ratner, Michael R. Wasielewski, Frederick D. Lewis and Ferdinand C. Grozema

In this Article we demonstrate a new mechanism for DNA charge transport, namely ‘deep-hole transfer’, which involves long-range migration of a hole through low-lying electronic states of the nucleobases. Here, we demonstrate, in a combined experimental and theoretical study, that it is possible to achieve such transfer behaviour by changing the energetics of charge injection.

Nature Chemistry, 2016, 8, pp 1015–1021

See also the News & Views piece by Waldeck and Beratan.

Tunable and highly efficient light-harvesting antenna systems based on 1,7-perylene-3,4,9,10- tetracarboxylic acid derivatives

Rajeev K. Dubey, Damla Inan, Sanchita Sengupta, Ernst J. R. Sudholter, Ferdinand C. Grozem and Wolter F. Jager

We report the synthesis and excited-state dynamics of a series of five bichromophoric light-harvesting antenna systems, which are capable of efficient harvesting of solar energy in the spectral range of 350– 580 nm. These antenna systems have been synthesized in a modular fashion by the covalent attachment of blue light absorbing naphthalene monoimide energy donors (D1, D2, and D3) to green light absorbing perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid derived energy acceptors, 1,7-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic tetrabutylester (A1), 1,7-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic monoimide dibutylester (A2), and 1,7-perylene- 3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic bisimide (A3).

Chemical Science, 2016, 7, pp 3517–3532