Chief Scientist Laboratories Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory

Chief Scientist: Tahei Tahara (D.Sc.)

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Research Summary

Spectroscopy is the “eyes” of modern science, and hence it plays essential roles in a variety of research fields covering physics, chemistry and biology. We develop and utilize the most advanced spectroscopy for studying complex molecular systems. To elucidate a variety of phenomena occurring in the complex systems, we need to clarify their electronic and vibrational states, the response of surroundings, and the fluctuation and dissipation of energy behind. Based on this view, we carry out fundamental research using the most advanced linear/nonlinear spectroscopic methods with the most suitable time- and space-resolution for the problems to be studied. Currently, we are carrying out the following projects: (1) Study of ultrafast dynamics using advanced time-resolved spectroscopy; (2) Study of soft interfaces using novel interface-selective nonlinear spectroscopy; (3) Study of structural dynamics of biomolecules and development of new single molecule spectroscopy.

Main Research Fields

Chemistry

Related Research Fields

Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Biology
Physical Chemistry
Thin film & Surface and interfacial physical properties
Biophysics

Keywords

Ultrafast spectroscopy
Nonlinear spectroscopy
Single molecule spectroscopy
Reaction dynamics
Interface

Selected Publications

1. Kuramochi, H., Tsutsumi, T., Saita, K., Wei, Z., Osawa, M., Kumar, P., Liu, L., Takeuchi, T., Taketsugu, T., Tahara, T.:
"Ultrafast Raman observation of the perpendicular intermediate phantom state of stilbene photoisomerization"
Nat. Chem. 16, 22-27 (2024).
2. Sung, W., Inoue, K., Nihonyanagi, S., Tahara. T.:
"Unified picture of vibrational relaxation of OH stretch at the air/water interface"
Nat. Commun. 15, 1258/1-11 (2024).
3. Kusaka, R., Nihonyanagi, S., Tahara, T.:
"The photochemical reaction of phenol becomes ultrafast at the air-water interface"
Nat. Chem. 13, 306-311 (2021).
4. Sarkar, B., Ishii, K., Tahara, T.:
"Microsecond folding of preQ₁ riboswitch and its biological significance revealed by two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 7968-7978 (2021).
5. Kuramochi, H., Takeuchi, S., Iwamura, M., Nozaki K., Tahara, T.:
"Tracking photoinduced Au-Au bond formation through transient terahertz vibration observed by femtosecond time-domain Raman spectroscopy"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 19296-19303 (2019).
6. Kuramochi, K., Takeuchi, S., Yonezawa, K., Kamikubo, H., Kataoka K., Tahara T.:
"Probing the early stages of photoreception in photoactive yellow protein with ultrafast time-domain Raman spectroscopy"
Nat. Chem. 9, 660-666 (2017).
7. Singh, P. C., Inoue, K., Nihonyanagi, S., Yamaguchi, S., Tahara, T.:
"Femtosecond hydrogen-bond dynamics of bulk-like and bound water at positively and negatively charged lipid interfaces revealed by 2D HD-VSFG spectroscopy"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 10621-10625 (2016).
8. Fujisawa, T., Kuramochi, H., Hosoi, H., Takeuchi, S., Tahara, T.:
"Role of coherent low-frequency motion in excited-state proton transfer of green fluorescence protein studied by time-resolved impulsive Raman spectroscopy"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 3942-3945 (2016).
9. Otosu, T., Ishii, K., Tahara, T.:
"Microsecond protein dynamics observed at the single molecule level"
Nat. Commun. 6, 7685/1-9 (2015).
10. Ishii, K., Tahara, T.:
"Two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy. 1. Principle"
J. Phys. Chem. B 117, 11414-11422 (2013).