Experimental Methods

Two Dimensional Infrared (2D-IR) Spectroscopy: 2D-IR Spectroscopy is a new and powerful technique to investigate molecular structure and dynamics. The technique can interrogate molecular motions and fluctuations happening in ultrafast (femtosecond) timescales. 2D-IR spreads the spectral information in two frequency dimensions and provides inherent advantages over conventional infrared absorption spectroscopy, providing information on vibrational coupling, fluctuation timescale, hydrogen bond making and breaking, and structural kinetics.

Vibrational Stark Spectroscopy (VSS): VSS calibrates the sensitivity of the vibrational (IR) probes to the electric field. This calibration can be used to estimate the non-covalent interactions experienced by the spectroscopic probe, thus providing us a direct experimental observable that can be used as a quantitative and microscopic descriptor of local electrostatics.

Other Spectroscopic Methods: Other spectroscopic methods like UV/Vis, FTIR, NMR, and Fluorescence are extensively used to obtain steady state information. Correlation between two independent spectroscopic observables can provide detailed understanding regarding hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions. Time resolved fluorescence provides information about the lifetimes of the fluorephores.