1. Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

Ultrafast 2D-IR vibrational echo spectroscopy probes the dynamics and interactions of mechanical degrees of freedom in a manner akin to 2D NMR but on time scales 6 to 10 orders of magnitude shorter than NMR. Therefore, 2D vibrational echo spectroscopy can probe molecular dynamics in complex systems, such as liquids and proteins, on the relevant time scales of molecular motions and structural evolution.

 

2. What has motivated you to conduct this work? 

Complex molecular systems, whether they are important in chemistry or biology, are inherently dynamic. It is the time dependent structural evolution of systems that is responsible for chemical and biological processes. Ultrafast 2D vibrational echo spectroscopy provides a direct window into the structural evolution of complex molecular systems. The desire to understand the fundamentals of molecular level structural evolution motivated this work. 

 

3. Where do you see this work developing in the future? 

The applications of ultrafast 2D-IR vibrational echo spectroscopy and related 2D IR methods are growing briskly. With the rapid improvements in methodology and equipment, such methods are on the path to becoming common place in all fields of molecular science including chemistry, biology, materials science, and medical science. 

 

4. Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area? 

For ultrafast 2D-IR vibrational echo spectroscopy to achieve its maximum impact on science, it will have to move from the laboratories of specialists into common usage in a manner similar to NMR. For this movement to occur will require the development of commercial instrumentation that can be purchased as a package. The development of the necessary turn key laser equipment, optical setup, detection equipment, and software packages is proceeding rapidly. It is possible that within a decade, 2D vibrational echo instruments will be commercially available. Then the field will really explode.