Springer Photosynergetic Responses in Molecules and Molecular Aggregates

This book compiles the accomplishments of the recent research project on photochemistry “Photosynergetics”, supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, aiming to develop and elucidate new methods and molecules leading to advanced utilization of photo-energies. Topics include photochemical responses induced by multiple excitation, multiphoton absorption, strong modulation of electronic states, developments of new photofunctional molecules, mesoscopic actuations induced by photoexcitation, and novel photoresponses in molecules and molecular assemblies. The authors stress that these approaches based on the synergetic interaction among many photons and many molecules enable the expansion of the accessibility to specific electronic states. As well, they explain how the development of reaction sequences and molecules/molecular assemblies ensure “additivity” and “integration” without loss of the photon energy, leading to new photoresponsive assemblies in meso- and macroscopic scales.  About the Author Hiroshi Miyasaka received his Ph.D from Osaka University in 1985. His research interests include ultrafast dynamics of molecules in the electronically excited state, multiple-photon excitation for the control of photochemical reaction, and detection of individual molecules by optical methods. He is currently a full professor at Graduate School of Engineering Science in Osaka University. He published more than 250 articles and  some 30 book chapters. He won the Japanese Photochemistry Award and Masuhara Lectureship Award of Asian and Oceanian Photochemistry Association. Kenji Matsuda received his Ph.D from the University of Tokyo in 1997. His research interests include physical organic chemistry for molecular electronics and highly functional materials. He is currently a full professor at Graduate School of Engineering in Kyoto University. He published more than 200 articles, reviews, and book chapters. He won the Chemical Society of Japan Award for Young Chemists, Nozoe Memorial Award for Young Scientist, and Japanese Photochemistry Association Award. Jiro Abe has received his Ph. D from Waseda University in 1991. His research interests include the development of fast photoswitchable molecules, and investigation of photochemical dynamis by time-resolved spectroscopies and DFT calculations. He is currently a full professor at College of Science and Engineering in Aoyama Gakuin University. He published more than 140 articles, and contributed 6 book chapters. He won the Japanese Photochemistry Award in 2012. Tsuyoshi Kawai has received PhD from Osaka University in 1993.  He is currently a full professor at Nara Institute of Science and Technology, NAIST. His research interests include development of photoreactive molecules and luminescent materials. He has published more than 350 papers on the topics of organic functional compounds and nano-scale materials such as quantum dots, semiconductor nanowires and carbon-nanotubes.  He won the Japanese Photochemistry Award and the CSJ Award for Creative Research.