Introduction
Photochemistry and molecular photophysics have been highly active fields of research for more than half a century; however, during the last two decades synergistic advances in experimental technology and computational methodology have led to a renewed interest in understanding photochemistry and photophysics at the quantum level - photo-initiated quantum molecular dynamics. One of the grand challenges for the 21st century is to develop such a detailed understanding of energy flow in molecules, following the absorption of a photon, that we can begin to develop the knowledge and tools to control photochemistry.Photo-initiated quantum molecular dynamics is not only core fundamental science, it has potentially wide impact. Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons for developing a more detailed understanding of energy flow in molecules between light, electrons and chemical bonds, is to enable us to contribute to some of the challenges in designing light harvesting systems for clean energy generation - thus addressing one of the big problems facing society. There are also important applications in fields such as photocatalysis, the design of efficient light-driven molecular devices for data storage and processing, and photomedicine.
In an attempt to address these complex problems all the discussion sessions at this meeting will involve spectroscopy and dynamics, experiment and theory. The Scientific Committee warmly invites you to take part in the Discussion and looks forward to welcoming you in Nottingham.
Aims
The purpose of this proposed Faraday Discussion is to bring together experimentalists and theoreticians, chemists and physicists, spectroscopists and dynamicists, and to provide the environment in which the cross-boundary exchange of information can take place. The Faraday Discussion will provide a forum in which the next generation of researchers will learn the importance of combining expertise from all these areas.Themes
- Single molecules: photochemistry and photophysics in isolated molecular systems
- Extended systems: photochemistry and photophysics of chromophores in proteins, solution or clusters
- Controlling molecular dynamics: controlling photochemistry using sequences of light pulses, shaped light pulses or bond selection prior to photoexcitation
- Applications of molecular dynamics to global challenges: photovoltaic cells, photodynamic therapy, imaging
