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Education and Appointments
- B.S. 1967,
Eckerd College
- Ph.D. 1971,
Indiana University
- Postdoctoral Fellow 1971-1973,
National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
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Honors
- Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State, 2002-2007
- Elected Titular Board Member, Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division, Int'l Union of Pure & App, 2002-2006
- First AIP Scientist/Diplomat, U.S. Department of State, 2001
- Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy, Senior Awardee (for lifetime contributions), 2001
- Senior Alexander von Humboldt Awardee, '89/95/99
- Five-Star Teaching Award - Outstanding Teacher of the Year, University of Arizona, 1992
Research Interests
- Physical
- Catalysis and Reaction Dynamics
- Gas Phase Structure and Spectroscopy
- Biophysical
- Instrumentation
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Professor of Chemistry
Professor of Optical Sciences
George H. Atkinson
atkinsog@u.arizona.edu
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Office:
Carl S. Marvel Laboratories 230
Phone: (520) 621-6293
Fax: (520) 621-4858
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Curriculum Vitae
List of Publications
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| Research Summary | Chemical and Biophysical Dynamics/Laser Spectroscopy
Professor Atkinson served from 2003-2007 as The Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State in Washington, D.C.
In addition to his work in Washington, his current research interests are in three general areas:
I. Molecular Dynamics of Fast (Picosecond) Chemical and Biophysical Reactions
The molecular intermediates formed during the initial femto/picoseconds of chemical and
biochemical reactions are studied by laser spectroscopy. The femto/picosecond dynamics of visual and
photo-synthetic reactions such as those in the rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin and photoactive yellow protein
systems are currently being examined. These time-resolved laser spectroscopies in the Atkinson laboratory are designed to measure
absorption and fluorescence, vibrational resonance Raman scattering, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman
scattering (CARS) from femto/picosecond intermediates in biophysical reactions. The last two of these spectroscopies are especially interesting since they provide
information on the picosecond changes in molecular shape and structure (i.e., conformation and
configuration) which control the molecular mechanisms occurring in the femto/picosecond time scale regime and
that eventually determine chemical and biochemical functionality.
New experiments which expand the application of picosecond time-resolved CARS measurements
to DNA binding structures are underway.
II. Coherent Raman Microscopy
The spatial and time-resolved properties of coherent Raman spectroscopy provide a unique opportunity to examine molecular structure changes within submicron regimes occuring on the picosecond time scale. By optically coupling CARS with confocal microscopes adapted for time-resolved studies, a new type of vibrational microscopy is being developed in the Atkinson laboratory. Emphasis is placed on the simultaneous measurement of the structural dynamics with a well-defined spatial region of a biochemically functional system using the structural differences in specific molecules to provide a wrapping.
III. Astrophysical Spectroscopy
A collaborative research program designed to measure overtone spectroscopy of major chemical
components of atmospheres on Jupiter, Titian, Mars and Uranus is underway using infrared intracavity laser
spectroscopy. These
measurements provide information needed by observational astronomers in their
chemical and physical analysis of planetary
atmospheres.
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| Selected Publications |
- Primary events in the Bacteriorhodopsin photocycle: torsional vibrational dephasing in the first excited electronic state, A.C. Terentis, L. Ujj, H. Abramczyk, and G.H. Atkinson, Chem. Phys. 313 (2005) 51-62.
- Picosecond Time-Resolved Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy of the Artificial Bacteriorhodopsin Pigment, BR6.11, A.C. Terentis, L. Ujj, Y. Zhou, and G.H. Atkinson, J. of Phys. Chem. A 107 (2003) 10787-10797.
- Picosecond Coherent Vibrational
Spectroscopy (CARS) of a DNA-Intercalating Ru Complex, L. Ujj, C. Coates, J.
Kelly, P. Kruger, J. McGarvey, and G.H. Atkinson, J. of Phys. Chem. B 106 (2002) 4854-4862.
- Dynamics of Retinal
Structural Changes in the Photocycle of the Artificial Bacteriorhodopsin
Pigment BR6.9, Y. Zhou, L. Ujj, M. Sheves, M. Ottolenghi, and G.H.
Atkinson, J. of Phys. Chem. A 106 (2002) 3325-3336.
- Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman
Spectroscopy, L. Ujj and G.H. Atkinson, in Handbook of Vibrational
Spectroscopy, J.M. Chalmers and P.R. Griffits (Eds), John Wiley & Sons,
Ltd. 1 (2002) 585-595.
- Photocycle Dynamics and Vibrational
Spectroscopy of the E46Q Mutant of Photoactive Yellow Protein, Y. Zhou, L. Ujj, T. E. Meyer, M. A. Cusanovich, and G. H.
Atkinson, J. Phys. Chem. A 105 (2001) 5719-5726.
- Absolute Intensities and Pressure
Broadening Coefficients of 2-μm CO2 Absorption Features at Low Temperatures:
Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy, J. Geng, J.I. Lunine and G.H. Atkinson, Applied
Optics 40 (2001) 2551-2560.
- Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy with an Ion-doped, Solid-state Tm3+: YAG Laser, E. Mehdizadeh, J. Lunine,
and G.H. Atkinson, J. Quant. Spect. Rad Trans.
(JQSRT) 68 (2001) 453-465.
- Photochemistry of K-590 in the Room Temperature Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle, J.K. Delaney, P.K. Schmidt, T.L. Brack, and G.H. Atkinson, J. Phys. Chem. B 104 (2000) 10827-10834.
- Vibrational Spectrum of the J-625 Intermediate in the Room Temperature Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle, G.H. Atkinson, L. Ujj, and Y. Zhou, J. Phys. Chem. A 104 (2000) 4130-4139.
- Vibrational Spectrum of a Picosecond Intermediate in the Artificial BR5.12 Photoreaction: Picosecond Time-Resolved CARS of T5.12, L. Ujj, Y. Zhou, M. Sheves, M. Ottolenghi, S. Ruhman, and G. H. Atkinson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122 (2000) 96-106.
- Coherent Anti-Stokes Vibrational Raman Spectra of Artificial Rhodopsin Pigments containing Ring Structuring Blocking 11-cis Isomerization, Y. Zhou, L. Ujj, J. Lou, F. Jager, K. Nakanishi, and G.H. Atkinson, J. Molecular Structure 478 (1999) 107-119.
- Vibrational Spectroscopy of a Picosecond, Structurally-restricted Intermediate Containing a Seven-Membered Ring in the Room-Temperature Photoreaction of an Artificial Rhodopsin, F. Jager, J. Lou,
K. Nakanishi, L. Ujj, and G.H. Atkinson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120 (1998) 3739-3747.
- Vibrational Spectrum of Bathorhodopsin in the Room Temperature Rhodopsin Photo-Reactions, F. Jager, L. Ujj, and G.H.
Atkinson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119 (1997)
12610-12618.
- Vibrational Spectrum of the K-590 Intermediate
in the Bacteriorhodopsin Photocycle at Room-temperature: Picosecond
Time-resolved Resonance Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy, L. Ujj, F. Jager, A. Popp, and G.H. Atkinson, Chem. Phys.
212 (1996) 421-436.
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