McCusker Group Publications
| 2026 | ||
| "Kinetics vs Thermodynamics: Engineering Photoredox Reactivity from an Upper Excited State of FeII" Ghosh, A.; Pfund, B.; Yarranton, J. T.; Lien, Y.-J.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2026, ASAP. | ||
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| 2025 | ||
| "Spin-State and Reorganization Energy Considerations for Metal-Centered Photoredox Catalysis" Bowers, B. E.; Pfund, B.; Beissel, H. F.; Ghosh, A.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147, 39898–39911. | ||
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| "Probing the influence of ion-pairing on ligand-field excited-state dynamics" Ghosh, A.; Holmes, D.; McCusker, J. K. Chem. Sci. 2025, 16, 16110–16120. | ||
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| "Leveraging Intramolecular pi-Stacking to Access an Exceptionally Long-Lived 3MC Excited State in an Fe(II) Carbene Complex" Ortiz, R. J.; Mondal, R.; McCusker, J. K.; Herbert, D. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 1694–1708. | ||
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| 2024 | ||
| "Establishing the origin of Marcus-inverted-region behaviour in the excited-state dynamics of cobalt(III) polypyridyl complexes" Ghosh, A.; Yarranton, J. T.; McCusker, J. K. Nat. Chem. 2024, 16, 1665–1672. | ||
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| 2023 | ||
| "Observation of parallel intersystem crossing and charge transfer-state dynamics in [Fe(bpy)3]2+ from ultrafast 2D electronic spectroscopy" Lee, A.; Son, M.; Deegbey, M.; Woodhouse, M. D.; Hart, S. M.; Beissel, H. F.; Cesana, P. T.; Jakubikova, E.; McCusker, J. K.; Schlau-Cohen, G. S. Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 13140–13150. | ||
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| "Exploiting the Marcus inverted region for first-row transition metal-based photoredox catalysis" Chan, A. Y.; Ghosh, A.; Yarranton, J. T.; Twilton, J.; Jin, J.; Arias-Rotondo, D. M.; Sakai, H. A.; McCusker, J. K.; MacMillan, D. W. C. Science 2023, 384, 191–197. | ||
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| "Direct Evidence for Excited Ligand Field State-based Oxidative Photoredox Chemistry of Cobalt(III) Polypyridyl Photosensitizer" Alowakennu, M. M.; Ghosh, A.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 20786–20791. | ||
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| 2022 | ||
| "Ligand-Field Spectroscopy of Co(III) Complexes
and the Development of a Spectrochemical Series for
Low-Spin d6 Charge-Transfer
Chromophores" Yarranton, J. T.; McCusker, J. K.
J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2022, 144, 12488–12500. |
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| "On the use of vibronic coherence to
identify reaction coordinates for ultrafast
excited-state dyanmics of transition metal-based
chromophores" Paulus, B. C.; McCusker, J. K. Faraday
Discuss. 2022, 237, 274–299. |
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| "Ion-Pair Reorganization Regulates Reactivity in Photoredox Catalysts" Earley, J. D.; Zieleniewska, A.; Ripberger, H. H.; Shin, N. Y.; Lazorski, M. S.; Mast, Z. J.; Sayre, H. J.; McCusker, J. K.; Scholes, G. D.; Knowles, R. R.; Reid, O. G.; Rumbles, G. Nat. Chem. 2022, 14, 746–753. | ||
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| 2021 |
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| "A Modular Approach to Light Capture and Synthetic Tuning of the Excited-State Properties of Fe(II)-Based Chromophores" Paulus, B. C.; Nielsen, K. C.; Tichnell, C. R.; Carey, M. C.; McCusker, J, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 8086–8098. | ||
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| "Optical and Infrared
Spectroelectrochemical Studies of CN-Substituted
Bipyridyl Complexes of Ruthenium(II)" Taylor, J. O.;
Pižl, M.; Kloz, M.; Rebarz, M.; McCusker, C. E.;
McCusker, J. K. Záliš, S.; Hartl, F.; Vlček, A. Inorg.
Chem. 2021, 60, 3514–3523. |
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| 2020 | ||
| "Mechanistic Origin of Photoredox
Catalysis Involving Iron(II) Polypyridyl
Chromophores" Woodhouse, M. D.; McCusker, J. K. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142,
16229–16233. |
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| "Exploiting Chemistry and Molecular Systems for Quantum Information Science" Wasielewski, M. R.; Forbes, M. D. E.; Frank, N. L.; Kowalski, K.; Scholes, G. D.; Yuen-Zhou, J.; Baldo, M. A.; Freedman, D. E. Goldsmith, R. H.; Goodson III, T.; Kirk, M. L.; McCusker, J. K.; Ogilvie, J. P.; Shultz, D. A.; Stoll, S.; Whaley, B. Nat. Rev. Chem. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-020-0200-5. | ||
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| "Leveraging Excited-State Coherence
for Synthetic Control of Ultrafast Dynamics" Paulus,
B. C.; Adelman, S. L; Jamula, L. L.; McCusker, J. K.
Nature 2020, 582, 214–219. |
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| "Outer-Sphere Effects
on Ligand-Field Excited-State Dynamics: Solvent
Dependence of High-Spin to Low-Spin Conversion in
[Fe(bpy)3]2+" Miller, J. N.;
McCusker, J. K. Chem.
Sci. 2020,
11, 5191-5204. |
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| "Influence of
Electrolyte Composition on Ultrafast Interfacial
Electron Transfer in Fe-Sensitized TiO2-Based
Solar Cells" Tichnell, C. R.; Miller, J. N.; Liu,
C.; Mukherjee, S.; Jakubikova, E.;
McCusker, J. K. J.
Phys. Chem. C 2020, 124, 1794–1811. |
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| 2019 | ||
| "Using Ultrafast
X-ray Spectroscopy To Address Questions in
Ligand-Field Theory: The Excited State Spin and
Structure of [Fe(dcpp)2]2+"
Britz, A.; Gawelda, W.; Assefa, T. A.; Jamula, L.
L.; Yarranton, J. T.; Galler, A.; Khakhulin, D.;
Diez, M.; Harder, M.; Doumy, G.; March, A. M.;
Bajnóczi, E.; Németh, Z.; Pápai, M.; Rozsályi, E.;
Szemes, D. S.; Cho, H.; Mukherjee, S.; Liu, C.; Kim,
T. K.; Schoenlein, R. W.; Southworth, S. H.; Young,
L.; Jakubikova, E.; Huse, N.; Vankó, G.; Bressler,
C.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 2019, 58, 9341-9350. |
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| "Electronic structure in the transition metal block and its implications for light harvesting" McCusker, J. K. Science 2019, 363, 484-488. | ||
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| "Insights into the excited state dynamics of Fe(II) polypyridyl complexes from variable-temperature ultrafast spectroscopy" Carey, M. C.; Adelman, S. L.; McCusker, J. K. Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 134. | ||
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| 2018 | ||
| "Vibrational Relaxation and Redistribution
Dynamics in Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl-Based
Charge-Transfer Excited States: A Combined
Electronic and Infrared Absorption Study" Brown, A.
M.; McCusker, C. E.; Carey, M. C.; Blanco-Rodríguez,
A. M.; Towrie, M.; Clark, I. P.; Vlček, A.;
McCusker, J. K. J.
Phys. Chem. A 2018, 122, 7941-7953. |
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| 2017 | ||
| "Using coherence to enhance function in chemical and biophysical systems" Scholes, G. D.; Fleming, G. R.; Chen, L. X.; Aspuru-Guzik, A.; Buchleitner, A.; Coker, D. F.; Engel, G. S.; van Grandelle, R.; Ishizaki, A.; Jonas, D. M.; Lundeen, J. S.; McCusker, J. K.; Mukamel, S.; Ogilvie, J. P.; Olaya-Castro, A.; Ratner, M. A.; Spano, F. C.; Whaley, K. B.; Zhu, X. Nature 2017, 543, 647-656. | ||
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| "Photosensitized, energy transfer-mediated organometallic catalysis through electronically excited nickel(II)" Welin, E. R.; Le, C.; Arias-Rotondo, D. M.; McCusker, J. K.; MacMillan, D. W. C. Science 2017, 355, 380-385. | ||
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| 2016 | ||
| "The photophysics of photoredox catalysis: a roadmap for catalyst design" Arias-Rotondo, D. M.; McCusker, J. K. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2016, 45, 5803-5820. | ||
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| 2015 | ||
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“Ultrafast excited-state
processes in inorganic systems” McCusker, J. K.; Vlček, Jr.,
A. Acc. Chem. Res. 2015, 48,
1207-1208.
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| 2014 | ||
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“Spectroelectrochemical
identification of charge-transfer excited
states in transition metal-based polypyridyl
complexes” Brown, A. M.; McCusker, C. E.;
McCusker, J. K. Dalton Trans.
2014, 43,
17635-17646.
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“X-ray spectroscopy:
Enlightened state” McCusker, J. K. Nat. Phys. 2014, 10,
476-477.
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“Synthesis and characterization
of a high-symmetry ferrous polypyridyl
complex: Approaching the 5T2/3T1
crossing point for FeII” Jamula, L.
L.; Brown, A. M.; Guo, D.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53,
15-17.
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| 2012 | ||
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“Ligand-field symmetry effects
in Fe(II) polypyridyl compounds probed by
transient X-ray absorption spectroscopy” Cho,
H.; Strader, M. L.; Hong, K.; Jamula, L.;
Gullikson, E. M.; Kim, T. K.; de Groot, F. M.
F.; McCusker, J. K.; Schoenlein, R. W.; Hus,
N. Faraday Discuss. 2012,
157,
463-474.
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| 2011 | ||
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“Angular momentum conservation
in dipolar energy transfer” Guo, D.; Knight,
T. E.; McCusker, J. K. Science 2011, 334, 1684-1687.
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“Femtosecond soft X-ray
spectroscopy of solvated transition-metal
complexes: Deciphering the interplay of
electronic and structural dynamics” Huse, N.;
Cho, H.; Hong, K.; Jamula, L.; de Groot, F. M.
F.; Kim, T. K.; McCusker, J. K.; Schoenlein,
R. W. J.
Phys. Chem. Lett. 2011,
2,
880-884.
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“Synthesis and spectroscopic
characterization of CN-substituted bipyridyl
complexes of Ru(II)” McCusker, C. E.;
McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 2011,
50,
1656-1669.
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| 2010 | ||
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“Vibrational coherence in the
excited state dynamics of Cr(acac)3:
Probing the reaction coordinate for ultrafast
intersystem crossing” Schrauben, J. N.;
Dillman, K. L.; Beck, W. F.; McCusker, J. K. Chem. Sci. 2010,
1,
405-410.
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“Photo-induced spin-state
conversion in solvated transition metal
complexes probed via time-resolved soft X-ray
spectroscopy” Huse,
N.; Kim, T. K.; Jamula, L.; McCusker, J. K.;
de Groot, F. M. F.; Schoenlein,
R. W. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 6809-6816.
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“Orbital-specific energy
transfer” Knight T.
E.; McCusker, J. K. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132,
2208-2221.
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| 2009 | ||
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“Differential polarization of
spin and charge density in substituted phenoxy
radicals” Fehir,
Jr., R. J.; McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem.
A 2009, 113,
9249-9260.
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| 2008 | ||
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“Femtosecond
time-resolved optical and Raman spectroscopy
of photoinduced spin crossover: Temporal
resolution of low-to-high spin optical
switching” Smeigh, A. L.; Creelman, M.;
Mathies, R. A.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2008, 130,
14105-14107.
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“Electronic structure of [Ga2(tren)2(CAsq,cat)](BPh4)2(BF4):
An
EPR, ENDOR, and density functional study”
Schrauben, J. N.; Guo, D.; McCracken, J. L.;
McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chim. Acta
2008, 361,
3539-3547.
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“Energy transfer dynamics in ReI−based
polynuclear assemblies: A quantitative
application of F�rster theory” Knight, T. E.; Guo, D.; Claude,
J. P.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 2008,
47, 7249-7261.
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“Effect of the presence of
iodide on the electron injection dynamics of
dye-sensitized TiO2-based solar
cells” Smeigh, A.
L.; Katz, J. E.; Brunschwig, B. S.; Lewis, N.
S.; McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem. C 2008,
112, 12065-12068.
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“Distinguishing between Dexter
and rapid sequential electron transfer in
covalently linked donor−acceptor assemblies” Soler, M.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130,
4708-4724.
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| 2007 | ||
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“Spin exchange effects on the
physicochemical properties of
tetraoxolene-bridged bimetallic complexes” Guo, D.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg.
Chem. 2007, 46,
3257-3274.
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article |
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| 2006 | ||
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“Picosecond X-ray absorption
spectroscopy of a photoinduced iron(II) spin
crossover reaction in solution” Khalil, M.; Marcus, M. A.;
Smeigh, A. L.; McCusker, J. K.; Chong, H. H.
W.; Schoenlein, R. W. J.
Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110,
38-44.
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article |
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“Ultrafast dynamics of
ligand-field excited states” Juban, E. A.;
Smeigh, A. L.; Monat, J. E.; McCusker, J. K. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2006, 250, 1783-1791.
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article |
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| 2005 | ||
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“Intramolecular energy transfer
involving Heisenberg spin-coupled dinuclear
iron−oxo complexes” Picraux, L. B.;
Smeigh, A. L.; Guo, D.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg.
Chem. 2005, 44,
7846-7859.
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article |
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“Ultrafast dynamics of 2E
state formation in Cr(acac)3” Juban E. A.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127,
6857-6865.
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| 2004 | ||
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“Time-resolved relaxation
studies of spin crossover systems in solution”
Brady, C.;
McGarvey, J. J.; McCusker, J. K.;
Hendrickson, D. N. Top. Curr.
Chem. 2004, 235, 1-22.
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| 2003 | ||
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“Intramolecular excimer
formation in a naphthalene-appended dinuclear
iron−oxo complex” Picraux, L. B.; Weldon, B. T.;
McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 2003,
42, 273-282.
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article |
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“Femtosecond absorption
spectroscopy of transition metal
charge-transfer complexes” McCusker, J. K. Acc.
Chem.
Res. 2003, 36,
876-887.
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article |
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| 2002 | ||
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“Transient absorption
spectroscopy of ruthenium and osmium
polypyridyl complexes adsorbed onto
nanocrystalline TiO2
photoelectrodes” Kuciauskas, D.; Monat, J. E.;
Villahermosa, R.; Gray, H. B.; Lewis, N. S.;
McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002,
106, 9347-9358.
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article |
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“Ground- and excited-state
electronic structures of the solar cell
sensitizer
bis(4,4'-dicarboxylato-2,2'-bipyridine)bis(isothiocyanato)ruthenium(II)”
Monat, J.
E.; Rodriguez, J. H.; McCusker, J. K. J.
Phys. Chem. A 2002, 106,
7399-7406.
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article |
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“Synthesis of mono-substituted
2,2'-bipyridines” Cordaro, J. G.; McCusker, J.
K.; Bergman, R. G. Chem. Commun. 2002,
1496-1497.
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article |
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“Density functional theory of
spin-coupled models for diiron-oxo proteins:
Effects of oxo and hydroxo bridging on
geometry, electronic structure, and magnetism”
Rodriguez,
J. H.; McCusker, J. K. J. Chem. Phys. 2002, 116, 6253-6270.
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article |
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| 2001 | ||
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“Bimolecular electron and
energy transfer reactivity of exchange-coupled
dinuclear iron(III) complexes” Weldon, B. T.;
Wheeler, D. E.; Kirby, J. P.; McCusker, J.
K. Inorg. Chem. 2001, 40,
6802-6812.
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article |
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“Fuel from photons” McCusker,
J. K. Science 2001,
293,
1599-1601.
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article |
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“Attenuated total reflection
design for in situ FT-IR
spectroelectrochemical studies” Visser, H.; Curtright, A. E.;
McCusker, J. K.; Sauer, K. Anal. Chem. 2001,
73, 4374-4378.
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article |
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| 2000 | ||
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“Blue-fluorescent antibodies”
Simeonov, A.; Matsushita, M. Juban, E. A.;
Thompson, E. H.
Z.; Hoffman, T. Z.; Beuscher, IV, Albert E.;
Taylor, M. J.; Wirsching, P.; Rettig, W.;
McCusker, J. K.;
Stevens, R. C.; Millar, D. P.; Schultz, P. G.;
Lerner, R. A.; Janda, K. D. Science
2000,
290,
307-313.
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article |
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“Ultrafast electron
localization dynamics following photo-induced
charge transfer” Yeh, A. T.; Shank, C. V.;
McCusker, J. K. Science 2000, 289,
935-938.
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article |
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“Femtosecond
excited-state dynamics of an iron(II)
polypyridyl solar cell sensitizer model”
Monat, J. E.; McCusker, J. K. J.
Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122,
4092-4097.
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article |
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| 1999 | ||
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“Density functional theory
analysis of electronic structure variations
across the orthoquinone/semiquinone/catechol
redox series” Wheeler,
D. E.; Rodriguez, J. H.; McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999,
103, 4101-4112.
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article |
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“Variable-temperature emission
studies of solvation dynamics: Evidence for coupling of
solvation to chromophore structural dynamics
in the evolution of charge-transfer excited
states” Damrauer, N.
H.; McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 1999,
38, 4268-4277.
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article |
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“Ultrafast dynamics in the
metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited-state
evolution of
[Ru(4,4'-diphenyl-2,2'-bipyridine)3]2+”
Damrauer, N.
H.; McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999,
103, 8440-8446.
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article |
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“Static
and time-resolved spectroscopic studies of
low-symmetry Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes” Curtright, A. E.; McCusker, J.
K. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999,
103, 7032-7041.
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| 1998 | ||
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“Theoretical
studies of steric effects on intraligand
electron delocalization: Implications for the
temporal evolution of MLCT excited states” Damrauer, N. H.; Weldon, B. T.;
McCusker, J. K. J. Phys. Chem. A 1998,
102, 3382-3397.
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article |
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“Electron
exchange and the photophysics of metal-quinone
complexes. 1. Synthesis and spectroscopy of
chromium-quinone dyads” Wheeler, D. E.; McCusker, J. K.
Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37,
2296-2307.
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article |
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“Experimental
observation of excited-state electron transfer
quenching involving exchange-coupled dinuclear
FeIII complexes” Kirby, J. P.; Weldon, B. T.;
McCusker, J. K. Inorg. Chem. 1998,
37,
3658-3659.
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article |
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“Density
functional studies of a Heisenberg spin
coupled chromium-semiquinone complex and its
chromium-catechol analog” Rodriguez, J. H.; Wheeler, D.
E.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1998, 120, 12051-12068.
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article |
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| 1997 | ||
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“Effects
of intraligand electron delocalization, steric
tuning, and excited-state vibronic coupling on
the photophysics of aryl-substitued bipyridyl
complexes of Ru(II)” Damrauer, N. H.; Boussie, T.
R.; Devenney, M.; McCusker, J. K. J. Am.
Chem. Soc. 1997, 119,
8253-8268.
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article |
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“Femtosecond
dynamics of excited-state evolution in
[Ru(bpy)3]2+” Damrauer, N. H.; Cerullo, G.;
Yeh, A.; Boussie, T. R.; Shank, C. V.;
McCusker, J. K. Science 1997, 275,
54-57.
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