Chemical Photonics | Wynne lab

ERC logo 200px‌In the Chemical Photonics | Wynne lab, we are interested in the fundamental chemical physics of liquids, proteins, and soft matter. Of particular interest are phase transitions such as liquid-liquid (polyamorphous) transitions and nucleation of new phases such as crystals. ‌These phenomena are studied using ultrafast laser spectroscopy (from femtoseconds to nanoseconds) and novel microscopy methods for the laser manipulation of phases. Our recent work has been published in some of the top journals (Nature Chemistry, Nature Commun., JACS, JPCLett.) and receives funding through an ERC Advanced grant as well as grants from EPSRC, MRC, and Leverhulme.‌

  1. F. Walton, K. Wynne, “Control over phase separation and nucleation using a laser-tweezing potential”, Nature Chemistry 10, 506-510 (2018) (http://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-018-0009-8)
  2. K. Wynne, “The Mayonnaise Effect”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 6189-6192 (2017). (http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b03207) Most read December 2017. Spotlighted (doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b03289).
  3. G. Ramakrishnan, M. González-Jiménez, A.J. Lapthorn, and K. Wynne, “Spectrum of slow and super-slow (picosecond to nanosecond) water dynamics around organic and biological solutes”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 2964-2970 (2017). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b01127)
  4. J. Reichenbach, S.A. Ruddell, M. González-Jiménez, J. Lemes, D.A. Turton, D.J. France, and K. Wynne, “Phonon-like hydrogen-bond modes in protic ionic liquids”, JACS 139, 7160-7163 (2017). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.7b03036)
  5. C.D. Syme, J. Mosses, M. González Jiménez, Finlay Walton, and K. Wynne, “Frustration of crystallisation by a liquid–crystal phase”, Sci. Rep. 7, 42439 (2017). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep42439)
  6. M. González-Jiménez, G. Ramakrishnan, T. Harwood, A.J. Lapthorn, S.M. Kelly, E.M. Ellis, and K. Wynne, “Observation of coherent delocalised phonon-like modes in DNA under physiological conditions”, Nature Commun., 7, 11799 (2016). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11799)
  7. J. Mosses, C.D. Syme, and K. Wynne, ‘The order parameter of liquid-liquid phase transitions’, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 6, 38-43 (2015). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jz5022763)
  8. D.A. Turton, H.M. Senn, T. Harwood, A.J. Lapthorn, E.M. Ellis, and K. Wynne, ‘Terahertz underdamped vibrational motion governs protein-ligand binding in solution’, Nature Commun. 5, 3999 (2014). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4999)

Orange laser lab in the Ultrafast Chemical Physics group