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Prof Klaas Wynne

Klaas Wynne
  • Chair in Chemical Physics (Chemistry)

telephone: 01413308522
email: Klaas.Wynne@glasgow.ac.uk


Research Summary

The ultrafast chemical physics group led by Klaas Wynne uses spectroscopy and imaging to study liquids, solutions, and proteins, and phase transitions in them. Femtosecond optical Kerr-effect spectroscopy (OKE) is used to get access to dynamics from the terahertz (1012 Hz) range down to megahertz. Dielectric spectroscopy – done with colleagues in Germany and Italy – provides a complementary view. Imaging and in particular confocal fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is used to observe spatial fluctuations related to the dynamic separation of phases. With collaborators (in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US), we can also look at bonds directly using femtosecond two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR), at diffusion using NMR, at atomic-scale structure using X-ray and neutron scattering, and at interfaces using sum-frequency generation (surface SFG).

Publication Highlights

  • D.A. Turton, T. Sonnleitner, A. Ortner, M. Walther, G. Hefter, K.R. Seddon, S. Stana, N.V. Plechkova, R. Buchner and K. Wynne, 'Structure and dynamics in protic ionic liquids: A combined optical Kerr-effect and dielec-tric relaxation spectroscopy study', Faraday Disc. 154, 145-153 (2012). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c1fd00054c)
  • D.A. Turton, C. Branca, C. Corsaro, M. Candelaresi, K.R. Seddon, F. Mallamace, and K. Wynne, 'The structure and terahertz dynamics of water confined in nanoscale pools in salt solutions', Faraday Disc. 150, 493-504 (2011). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c0fd00005a)
  • D.A. Turton, D.F. Martin, and K. Wynne, ‘Optical Kerr-effect study of trans-1,2-dichloroethene: liquid-liquid transition or super-Arrhenius relaxation’, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 12, 4191-4200 (2010). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b918196b)
  • D.A. Turton, K. Wynne, ‘Universal non-exponential relaxation: complex dynamics in simple liquids’, J. Chem. Phys. Communication 131, 201101 (2009). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3265862) [3rd most downloaded JCP paper in December 2009, 2009 JChemPhys editors’ choice.]
  • D.A. Turton, J. Hunger, A. Stoppa, G. Hefter, A. Thoman, M. Walther, R. Buchner, and K. Wynne, ‘Dynamics of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids from a Combined Dielectric Relaxation and Optical Kerr Effect Study: Evidence for Mesoscopic Aggregation’, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 11140-11146 (2009). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja903315v) [top 1%]
  • D.A. Turton, J. Hunger, G. Hefter, R. Buchner, K. Wynne, ‘Glasslike Behavior in Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions’, J. Chem. Phys. Communication 128, 161102 (2008). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2906132) [Editors’ Choice in Science 320, 987 (2008) and 7th most downloaded JCP paper in May 2008]
  • N.T. Hunt, L. Kattner, R.P. Shanks, K. Wynne, ‘The Dynamics of Water-Protein Interaction Studied by Ultrafast Optical Kerr-Effect Spectroscopy’, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 3168-3172 (2007). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja066289n)
  • G.H. Welsh, N.T. Hunt, and K. Wynne, ‘Terahertz-pulse emission through laser excitation of surface plasmons in a metal grating’, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 026803 (2007). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.026803)
  • G. Giraud, C.M. Gordon, I.R. Dunkin, K. Wynne, ‘The Effects of Anion and Cation Substitution on the Ultrafast Solvent Dynamics of Ionic Liquids: A Time-Resolved Optical Kerr-Effect Spectroscopic Study’, J. Chem. Phys. 199, 464-477 (2003). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1578056) [Selected for JCP Spotlight Collection March 2010, >100 cits.]

Neil with laser 

Jump to: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2005
Number of items: 12.

2011

Garwe, F., Schmidt, A., Zieger, G. , May, T., Wynne, K. , Hübner, U. , Zeisberger, M. , Paa, W. , Stafast, H. , and Meyer, H.-G. (2011) Bi-directional terahertz emission from gold coated nanogratings by excitation via femtosecond laser pulses. Applied Physics B-Lasers and Optics, 102 (3). pp. 551-554. ISSN 0946-2171 (doi:10.1007/s00340-011-4377-7)

Turton, D.A., Corsaro, C., Candelaresi, M., Brownlie, A., Seddon, K.R., Mallamace, F., and Wynne, K. (2011) The structure and terahertz dynamics of water confined in nanoscale pools in salt solutions. Faraday Discussions, 150 . pp. 493-504. ISSN 1359-6640 (doi:10.1039/c0fd00005a)

2010

Turton, D.A., Hunger, J., Stoppa, A., Thoman, A., Candelaresi, M., Hefter, G., Walther, M., Buchner, R., and Wynne, K. (2010) Rattling the cage: Micro- to mesoscopic structure in liquids as simple as argon and as complicated as water. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 159 (1). pp. 2-8. ISSN 0167-7322 (doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2010.04.005)

Turton, D.A., Martin, D.F., and Wynne, K. (2010) Optical Kerr-effect study of trans- and cis-1,2-dichloroethene: liquid–liquid transition or super-Arrhenius relaxation. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 12 (16). pp. 4191-4200. ISSN 1463-9076 (doi:10.1039/b918196b)

2009

Turton, D.A., Hunger, J., Stoppa, A., Hefter, G., Thoman, A., Walther, M., Buchner, R., and Wynne, K. (2009) Dynamics of imidazolium ionic liquids from a combined dielectric relaxation and optical kerr effect study: evidence for mesoscopic aggregation. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131 (31). pp. 11140-11146. ISSN 0002-7863 (doi:10.1021/ja903315v)

Turton, D.A., and Wynne, K. (2009) Universal nonexponential relaxation: Complex dynamics in simple liquids. Journal of Chemical Physics, 131 (20). p. 201101. ISSN 0021-9606 (doi:10.1063/1.3265862)

Welsh, G.H., and Wynne, K. (2009) Generation of ultrafast terahertz radiation pulses on metallic nanostructured surfaces. Optics Express, 17 (4). pp. 2470-2480. ISSN 1094-4087 (doi:10.1364/OE.17.002470)

2008

Turton, D.A., Hunger, J., Hefter, G., Buchner, R., and Wynne, K. (2008) Glasslike behavior in aqueous electrolyte solutions. Journal of Chemical Physics, 128 (16). p. 161102. ISSN 0021-9606 (doi:10.1063/1.2906132)

Turton, D., and Wynne, K. (2008) Structural relaxation in the hydrogen-bonding liquids N-methylacetamide and water studied by optical Kerr effect spectroscopy. Journal of Chemical Physics, 128 (15). p. 154516. ISSN 0021-9606 (doi:10.1063/1.2897432)

2007

Hunt, N.T., Kattner, L, Shanks, R.P., and Wynne, Klaas (2007) The dynamics of water-protein interaction studied by ultrafast optical kerr-effect spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 129 (11). 3168-3172 . ISSN 0002-7863 (doi:10.1021/ja066289n)

Welsh, G.H., Hunt, N.T., and Wynne, K. (2007) Terahertz-pulse emission through laser excitation of surface plasmons in a metal grating. Physical Review Letters, 98 (2). 026803 . ISSN 0031-9007 (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.026803)

2005

Wynne, K., and Carey, J.J. (2005) An integrated description of terahertz generation through optical rectification, charge transfer, and current surge. Optics Communications, 256 (4-6). pp. 400-413. ISSN 0030-4018 (doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2005.06.065)

This list was generated on Wed Feb 22 23:23:43 2012 GMT.

Grants & Funding

  • 2012-2015, EPSRC EP/J004790, EP/J004812, EP/J014478, "Liquid–liquid transitions in molecular liquids: from supramolecular structure to phase separation", £634k, K. Wynne, J. Sefcik.
  • 2013,    RSC, Faraday Discussion Meeting "Mesostructure and dynamics in liquids and solutions", K. Wynne, A. Soper (RAL), A. Angel (Arizona State U.), K. Seddon (Queen's U.), S. Meech (UEA), H.E. Stanley (Boston U.).
  • 2010, ISIS 1010269, A liquid-liquid transition in supercooled Gallium (3 days on SANDALS), K. Wynne, F. Demmel, W.S. Howells, D.A. Turton
  • 2008-2013, EPSRC EP/F06926X, Two-dimensional terahertz–IR spectroscopy: a unique probe of ultrafast hydrogen-bond dynamics of liquid water and model systems, £623k, K. Wynne, J. Karolin, D.J.S. Birch
  • 2007-2011, EPSRC EP/E046541, Terahertz spectroscopy of aqueous ionic solutions to understand the role of hydrogen-bond network breaking and strengthening in the Hofmeister series, £470k, K. Wynne, N.T Hunt
  • 2006-2011, EPSRC EP/D062861/1, Nanometrology for Molecular Science, Medicine and Manufacture, £3118k, Birch, Pickup, Faulds, O’Donnell, Smith, Martin, Wynne, Dawson, Girkin, Graham, Gnudi, Rolinski
  • 2006-2011, SFC, Nanometrology for Molecular Science, Medicine and Manufacture, £1150k, Birch, Pickup, Faulds, O’Donnell, Smith, Martin, Wynne, Dawson, Girkin, Graham, Gnudi, Rolinski
  • 2004-2007, EPSRC GR/S95510, A comparison of the THz-frequency vibrational spectra of (chiral) liquids obtained through ultrafast infrared and Raman spectroscopies, £252k, K. Wynne
  • 2004-2005, Wolfson Foundation, Nanometrology of colloidal particles, £449k, Birch, Wynne, Smith, Graham
  • 2004-2009, Leverhulme Trust F/00273/E, Surface-enhanced ultrafast Kerr-effect spectroscopy of dynamics in biomolecules, £125k, K. Wynne, D.J.S. Birch
  • 2004-2007, EPSRC GR/S75369, Understanding the structural and dynamic basis of kinetics in biomolecules using novel ultrafast Raman techniques, £330k, K. Wynne, D.J.S. Birch, W.E. Smith, D. Graham, J.O. Karolin
  • 2004-2005, SHEFC SRIF, Materials preparation and characterisation equipment, and solid-state ultrafast laser sources (SHEFC, Science Research Investment Fund), £470k, Several investigators including D.J.S. Birch and K. Wynne
  • 2003-2006, EPSRC GR/S48110 & GR/S48127, Single Molecule Sensing in Clinical Medicine (EPSRC Adventure Fund), £528k, Birch, Pickup, Smith, Wynne, Graham, Gnudi, Rolinski
  • 2003-2006, EPSRC GR/R97566, Using electromagnetic pulses emitted by ultrafast molecular currents for studying charge-transfer reactions, £211k, K. Wynne, D.A. Jaroszynski
  • 2002-2006, EPSRC GR/R88090, Basic technology: Developing laser-plasma accelerators and coherent radiation sources as tools for time-resolved studies, £4270k, Jaroszynski, Burnett, Cairns, Dangor, Gillespie, Wark, Bingham, Poole, Norreys,  Wynne, Hooker, Krushelnick, Walmsley
  • 1999-2001, EPSRC GR/M75600, Ultrafast electron-energy loss/gain spectroscopy (fs-EELS/EEGS), £78k, K. Wynne, D.A. Jaroszynski
  • 1999-2002, SHEFC RDG, X-ray to infrared sources for Strathclyde Terahertz to Optical Pulse Source (TOPS), £570k, D.A. Jaroszynski, A.D.R. Phelps, K. Wynne
  • 1999-2003, PRF 34344 - AC6, Chemical reaction control with high-power femtosecond electrical pulses, £40k, K. Wynne
  • 1999-2002, EPSRC GR/M52090, Study of superradiance and short pulse propagation in an underdense plasma, £406k, D.A. Jaroszynski, A.D.R. Phelps, K. Wynne
  • 1999-2003, RS A20172, Femtosecond field emitter, £10k, K. Wynne
  • 1999-2002, SHEFC , Strathclyde Synchronised Electron and High Power Ultra-Short Terahertz to Optical Pulse Source (TOPS), £530k, D.A. Jaroszynski, A.D.R. Phelps, K. Wynne
  • 1999-2002, EPSRC GR/M39312, The solvent response to chemical reactions, £190k, K. Wynne
  • 1997-1999, EPSRC GR/L91627, T-Ray near-field imaging, £51k, K. Wynne
  • 1997-1999, EPSRC GR/K88002, Temporal and spectral dynamics of phonons in crystals excited using subpicosecond optical pulses, £193k, T.P.J. Han, K. Wynne
  • 1996-1997, Strathclyde, Ultrafast reaction dynamics in proteins, £20k, K. Wynne
  • 1997-1999, EPSRC GR/K88972, Fluorescence dynamics in confined water: application to the structure of silica hydrogels, £198k, D.J.S. Birch, K. Wynne

The Group comprises:

  • Klaas Wynne, chair of chemical physics in the School of Chemistry at Glasgow University since 2010.
  • Edward Castner, Jr. is visiting professor in the group through Strathclyde and professor of chemistry in the Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA.
  • Robin Hochstrasser is visiting professor in the group through Strathclyde and Donner Professor of Physical Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • David Turton, postdoc with KW since 2004. David is currently Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry at Glasgow University.
  • Scott Campbell, PhD student with KW since December 2007.
  • Joanna Mosses, PhD student with KW since October 2010.
  • Marc White, PhD student with Lee Cronin, Chick Wilson, and KW, since October 2010.
  • Thomas Sonnleitner, visiting PhD student from the lab of Richard Buchner at the University of Regensburg

Wetlab  

The new ultrafast laser lab on the 3rd floor of the Joseph Black building.

Teaching

  • Level 1 - Thermodynamics
  • Level 4 - Dynamics of molecular clusters and fluids

 

Awards

PhD (Amsterdam) FRSC FInstP

Marks of esteem

2011 Faraday Discussion Invited to organise a future Faraday Discussion Meeting on “Mesostructure and dynamics in liquids and solutions” to be held in 2013
2011 Guest editor Guest editor with Neil Hunt for special issue on Ultrafast Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics of PCCP to be published 2012.
  • 2012 - Elected member of the Board of Chemical Physics (Elsevier)
  • 2011 - Invited to organise a Faraday Discussion Meeting on “Mesostructure and dynamics in liquids and solutions” to be held in 2013
  • 2011 - Guest editor with Neil Hunt for special issue on Ultrafast Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics of PCCP to be published 2012.
  • 2010 - J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 11140 (2009) was cited 19 times in the first 12 months since publication placing it comfortably in the top 1% of all papers in chemistry (according to Thomson Reuters Science Watch).
  • 2010 - JCP 119, 464 (2003) chosen as highlighted reference in the JCP Spotlight Collection on ionic liquids, March 2010. See http://jcp.aip.org/jcp/about/spotlight/ionic_liquids
  • 2010 - JCP 131, 201101 (2009) 3rd most downloaded JCP paper in December 2009. Selected JChemPhys editors’ choice as one of the most innovative and influential articles in the field of Chemical Physics in 2009. See http://jcp.aip.org/jcp/editors_choices_2009
  • 2010 - Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards 2010, Certificate of Recognition awarded in recognition of outstanding teaching
  • 2009 - Plenary lecturer EMLG-JMLG Meeting 2009, Salzburg, Austria
  • 2009 - Elected member of the international organising committee of the conference on Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy
  • 2008 - JCP 128, 161102 (2008) Editors’ Choice in Science 320, 987 (2008) and the 7th most downloaded JCP paper in May 2008

Selected Recent Talks

  1. K. Wynne, EMLG/JMLG meeting “New outlook on molecular liquids”, tbg. September 2011, Warsaw, Poland (invited plenary lecture).
  2. D. Turton, T. Sonnleitner, G. Hefter, A. Thoman, M. Walther, R. Buchner, and K. Wynne, International Conference on Time Resolved Vibrational Dynamics, June 2011, Switzerland.
  3. K. Wynne, Faraday Discussion 150: Frontiers in Spectroscopy, April 2011, Basel, Switzerland.
  4. K. Wynne, Gordon Research Conference on Vibrational Spectroscopy, 1-6 August 2010, Biddeford, ME, USA (invited).
  5. D.A. Turton, J. Hunger, A. Stoppa, G. Hefter, A. Thoman, M. Walther, R. Buchner, and K. Wynne, SPIE Photonics West, San Francisco, California, USA, 23-28 January 2010.
  6. N. Hunt, K. Wynne, UK Workshop on Ultrafast Dynamics, Belfast, 12 January 2010 (invited).
  7. K. Wynne, EMLG-JMLG Meeting 2009 on Intermolecular Interactions and Liquid Structure, 6-10 September 2009, Salzburg, Austria (invited plenary lecture).
  8. D.A Turton, K. Wynne, 14th International Conference on Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy, 9-14 May 2009, Meredith, NH, USA.
  9. D.A. Turton, J. Hunger, G. Hefter, R. Buchner, K. Wynne, 16th International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena, 9-13 June 2008, Stresa, Italy.
  10. G.H. Welsh and K. Wynne, SPIE Photonics West, 19-24 January 2008, San Jose, CA, USA (invited).

Recent professional activities

  1. Organiser of a Faraday Discussion meeting on ‘Mesostructure and dynamics in liquids and solutions’ to be held in 2013.
  2. Guest editor with Neil Hunt for special issue on Ultrafast Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics of PCCP to be published 2012.
  3. Member of the local organising committee of the ‘European Conference of Crystal Growth’ ECCG4 to be held in 2012.
  4. Member of the Committee of the Liquids and Complex Fluids Group of the IoP (2011-present).
  5. Chair for ‘Perspectives in Multidimensional Spectroscopy’ in honour of Prof Robin Hochstrasser, University of Pennsylvania, March 2011.
  6. Co-organiser of the ‘International Workshop on Ultrafast Chemical Physics 2011’ to be held 14-16 December 2011 in Glasgow. Organising committee: Neil Hunt (Strathclyde), Klaas Wynne (Glasgow), David Klug (Imperial), Helen Fielding (UCL), Steve Meech (UEA), and Julia Weinstein (Sheffield).
  7. Member of the international organising committee of the international conference on Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy, TRVS (2009-present).
  8. Member programme Committee for SPIE Photonics West 2010 (Ultrafast Phenomena in semiconductors and Nanostructures), San Francisco, USA, 2010. (2009-present)
  9. Contributing to the ‘Survival Blog for Scientists’ at http://www.sciencesurvivalblog.com/ (2009-present).
  10. Organiser of the ‘International Workshop on Ultrafast Chemical Physics 2008’ held 30/31 October 2008 in Glasgow with nearly 100 attendees. Organising committee: Klaas Wynne, Neil Hunt (Strathclyde), Steve Meech (UEA), David Klug (Imperial), and Angus Bain (UCL).