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Solar energy conversion, in both natural and artificial systems, involves the absorption of a photon that can then lead to a series of energy and electron transfer events. Research in the Anna group focuses on investigating these photo-induced processes in a variety of systems including natural photosynthetic complexes; isolated cofactors and artificial light harvesting chromophores; and bioinspired systems and photocatalyst. To investigate these systems we use pump-probe and multidimensional spectroscopies in the visible and mid-IR spectral regions. Through our studies, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental processes and ultrafast dynamics that govern solar energy conversion, which could lead to further insight and chemical intuition into how to tune and optimize energy transfer pathways and electron transfer events in artificial photosynthetic systems, organic photovoltaic materials, and photocatalysts.
This research spans interests across the fields of natural and artificial photosynthesis, photovoltaics, and photocatalysis.
- NSF CAREER Award, 2021
- Alfred P. Sloan Research, 2019
- DOE Early Career Award, 2016
- Elliman Faculty Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, 2014
"Exciton Coupling and Charge Transfer Dynamics in Zn(II) Complexes of π-Extended Dipyrrins" D. Kim, L. Ravotto, A. Bialas, T. Troxler, Z. Ou, K. M. Kadish, A. V. Cheprakov, F.C. Spano, S. A. Vinogradov*, and J. M. Anna* J. Phys. Chem. B. 2025
“Vibrational anisotropy decay resolves rare earth binding induced conformational change in DTPA,” R. Ball, J. A. Jackson, T. Simeon, G. C. Schatz, J. C. Shafer, J. M. Anna* Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2024, 26 13, 10078-10090
“Observing Similarities and Differences in the Properties of Isostructural Niobium(V)/Tantalum(V) Coordination Compounds with Strong Pi-Donor Ligands,” M.H. Furigay, S. Chaudhuri, C. Li, J. Zhou, P. Pandey, R.F. Higgins, H. Gupta, P.J. Carroll, M.R. Gau, J.M. Anna*, G.C. Schatz*, E.J. Schelter* Inorg. Chem. 2023, 32, 19238-19247
“Resolving the Impact of Hydrogen Bonding on the Phylloquinone Cofactor through Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy,” P. G. Askelson, S. L. Meloni, A. M. Hoffnagle, J. M. Anna J. Phys. Chem. B 2022, 126 48, 10120 - 10135
“Probing Ligand Effects on the Ultrafast Dynamics of Copper Complexes via Midinfrared Pump–Probe and 2DIR Spectroscopies,” W. Weng, A. B. Weberg, R. Gera, N. C. Tomson, J. M. Anna J. Phys. Chem. B 2021, 125 44, 12228 - 12241
“Extracting the Frequency-Dependent Dynamic Stokes Shift from Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectra with Prominent Vibrational Coherences,” J. Lu, Y. Lee, J. M. Anna J. Phys. Chem. B 2020, 124 40, 8857 - 8867
“Halogen Bonding Facilitates Intersystem Crossing in Iodo-BODIPY Chromophores,” D. M. Chenoweth, J. M. Anna J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2020, 11 3, 877 - 884
“Unraveling Confined Dynamics of Guests Trapped in Self-Assembled Pd6L4 Nanocages by Ultrafast Mid-IR Polarization-Dependent Spectroscopy,” R. Gera, S. L. Meloni, J. M. Anna J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2019, 10 3, 413 - 418
“Ultrafast Energy Transfer Involving the Red Chlorophylls of Cyanobacterial Photosystem I Probed through Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy,” Y. Lee, M. Gorka, J. H. Golbeck, J. M. Anna J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140 37, 11631 - 11638
“Ultrafast Solvation Dynamics and Vibrational Coherences of Halogenated Boron-Dipyrromethene Derivatives Revealed through Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy,” Y. Lee, S. Das, R. M. Malamakal, S. Meloni, D. M. Chenoweth, J. M. Anna J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139 41, 14733 - 14742
