About Alexander Tarnovsky

tarnovsky

Biographical Facts:

Joined the faculty in 2005
Ph.D., S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia (1993)
M.S., Institute of Fine Optics, St. Petersburg, Russia (1986) 

Alexander N. Tarnovsky, Ph.D.

Professor, Chemistry Department
309 Physical Sciences Laboratory Building
419.372.3865
atarnov@bgsu.edu
Research Group Web Page

Research Interests:

The focus of our research interests is two-fold:

  • Developing a molecular-level understanding of the dynamics of chemical reactions occurring in solution, and;

  • Gaining a deep, detailed insight into the dynamics and
    mechanisms of ultrafast (femto- and picosecond) photoinduced processes.

Our primary interest is "real time" investigation of ultrafast excited-state dynamics, bond rupture, and rearrangement of liquid-phase small polyatomic molecules, with most attention currently centered on polyhalogenated alkanes and transition metal complexes. The knowledge of the interplay between the initially populated Franck-Condon region, adiabatic/non-adiabatic excited-state dynamics, energy flow and solute-solvent interactions, is of central importance for achieving control over the photoreaction path. In our research, we use state-of-the-art experimental methods of ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy, primarily deep-UV-through-near-IR pump/probe and laser pump/x-ray absorption probe.

tarnovskygroup

2020-Present

  • Obloy, L. M.; Jockusch S.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Shortwave Infrared Polymethine Dyes for Bioimaging: Utrafast Relaxation Dynamics and Excited-State Decay Pathways. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2024, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/D4CP01411A. Themed collection 2024 PCCP HOT Articles, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=cp&themeid=bdaa70d2-1f2d-445e-b7e8-e4e8b6a38d28
  • Obloy, L. M.; El-Khoury, P. Z. ; Tarnovsky, A. N.: Excited-State-Selective Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics and Photoisomerization of trans-4,4′-Azopyridine. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 10863-10870. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02523
  • Gemeda, F. T.; Vorobyev, V.; Tarnovsky, A. N.: Ultrafast Solution-Phase Photophysical and Photochemical Dynamics of Hexaiodobismuthate(III), the Heart of Bismuth Halide Perovskite Solar Cells. J. Phys. Chem. B 2022, 126, 1254-1267. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10350
  • Vorobyev, V.; Budkina, D. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N.: Femtosecond Excited-State Dynamics and Nitric Oxide Photorelease in a Prototypical Ruthenium Nitrosyl Complex. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2020, 11, 4639-4643. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01105

2015-2019

  • Reveguk, Z. V.; Khoroshilov, E. V.; Sharkov, A. V.; Pomogaev, V. A.; Buglak, A. A.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Kononov, Alexei I.: Exciton Absorption and Luminescence in i-Motif DNA. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 15988. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52242-1.
  • Yang, M.; Moroz, P.; Jin, Z.; Budkina, D. S.; Sundrani, N.; Porotnikov, D.; Cassidy, J.; Sugiyama, Y.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Mattoussi, H.; Zamkov, M.: Delayed Photoluminescence in Metal-Conjugated Fluorophores. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 11286-11297. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b04697.
  • [54] Mereshchenko, A. S.; Butaeva, E. V; Borin, V.A.; Eyzips, A.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Roaming-Mediated UltrafastIisomerization of Geminal Tri-bromides in the Gas and Liquid Phases. Nature Chemistry 2015, 7, 562–568 [Link]
  • [53] Matveev, S. M.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; Panov, M. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N.Probing the fate of lowest-energy near-infrared metal-centered electronic excited states: CuCl42- and IrBr62-. J. Phys. Chem. B 2015, 119, 4857-4864 [Link]

2010-2014

  • [52] Mereshchenko, A. S.; Olshin, P. K.; Karimov, A. M.; Skripkin, M. Y.; BurkovK. A.; Tveryanovich,Y. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N.Photochemistry of copper(II) chlorocomplexes in acetonitrile: Trapping the ligand-to-metal charge transfer excited state relaxations pathways. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2014, 615, 105-110 [Link]
  • [51] Lambright, S.; Butaeva, E. V.; Razgoniaeva, N. M.; Hopkins, T.; Bryan, S.; Perera, D. N.; Corbin, J.; Khon, E.; Thomas, R.; Moroz, P. N.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Zamkov, M. A. Enhanced lifetime of excitons in non-epitaxial Au/CdS core/shell nanocrystals. ACS Nano 2014, 8, 352-361 [Link]
  • [50] Khon, E.; Lambright, K.; Khnayzer, R.; Moroz, P. N.; Perera, D.; Butaeva E. V.; Lambright, S.; Castellano, F.; Zamkov, M. A. Improving the catalytic activity of semiconductor nanocrystals throughselective domain etching. Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 2016-2023 [Link]
  • [49] Pal, S. K.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; Butaeva, E. V.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N Global sampling of the photochemical reaction paths of bromoform by ultrafast deep-uv through near-ir transient absorption and ab initio multiconfigurational calculations. J. Chem.Phys. 2013, 138, 124501 [Link]
  • [48] O’Connor, T.; Panov, M. S.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Lorek, R.; Perera, D.; Diederich, G.; Lambright, S.; Moroz, P.; Zamkov M. The Effect of the charge-separating interface on exciton dynamics in photocatalytic colloidal heteronanocrystals. ACS Nano 2012, 6, 8156-8165. [Link]
  • [47] Mereshchenko, A. S.; Pal, S. K.; Karabaeva, K. E.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N. The photochemistry of monochloro complexes of copper(II)  in methanol probed by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. A, 2012, 116, 2791-2799. Femtochemistry: Special issue.[Link]
  • [46] Zheldakov, I. L. Ryazantsev, M. N. Tarnovsky, A. N. Wavepacket motion via a conical intersection in the photochemistry of aqueous transition-metal dianions. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2011, 2, 1540–1545. [Link]
  • [45] Pal, S. K.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Femtosecond photolysis of CH2Br2 in acetonitrile: capturing the bromomethyl radical and bromine-atom charge transfer complex through deep-to-near UV probing. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2011, 507, 69-73. [Link]
  • [44] Khon. E.; Mereshchenko, A.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Acharya, K.; Klinkova, A.; Hewa-Kasakarage, N. N.; Nemitz, I.; Zamkov M. Suppression of the plasmon resonance in Au/CdS colloidal nanocomposites. Nano Lett., 2011, 11, 1792–1799. [Link]
  • [43] Panthi, K.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Kinstle T. H. Synthesis and computational studies of diphenylamine donor-carbazole linker-based donoreacceptor compounds. Tetrahedron 2010, 66, 9641-9649. [Link]
  • [42] El-Khoury, P. Z.; George, L.; Kalume, A.; Schapiro, I.; Olivucci, M.; Tarnovsky, A.N.; Reid, S. A. Matrix isolation and computational studies of the CF2I radical. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2010, 496, 68-73. [Link]
  • [41] El-Khoury, P. Z.; Pal, S. K.; Mereshchenko, A. S.; Tarnovsky, A. N. The formation and back isomerization of iso-H2C-Br-Br on a 100-ps timescale following 255-nm excitation of CH2Br2 in acetonitrile. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2010, 493, 61-66. [Link]
  • [40] Hewa-Kasakarage, N. N.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Kirsanova, M.; Nemitz, I.; Nemchinov, A.; Zamkov, M. Ultrafast carrier dynamics in type II ZnSe/CdS/ZnSe nano-barbells. ACS Nano, 2010, 4, 1837-1844. [Link]
  • [39] El-Khoury, P. K.; George, L.; Kalume, A.; Reid, S.; Ault, B.; Tarnovsky A. N. Characterization of iso-CF2I2 in frequency and ultrafast time domains. J. Chem. Phys. 2010, 132, 124501-11. [Link]
  • [38] George, L.; Kalume, A.; El-Khoury, P. K.; Tarnovsky A. N.; Reid, S. A. Matrix isolation and computational study of iso-difluorodibromomethane (F2CBr-Br): A route to Br2 formation in CF2Br2 photolysis. J. Chem. Phys. 2010, 132, 084503-11. [Link]
  • [37] Kalume, A.; George, L.; El-Khoury, P.Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Reid, S. A. Spectroscopic and computational studies of the laser photolysis of matrix isolated 1,2-dibromoethanes: formation and fate of the bromoethyl radicals. J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 9919-9926. [Link]

2005-2009

  • [36] El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Schapiro, I.; Ryazantsev, M. N.; Olivucci M. Structure of the photochemical reaction path populated via promotion of CF2I2 into its first excited state. J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 10767-10771. [Link]
  • [35] El-Khoury, P. Z.; Kwok, W. M.; Guan, X.; Ma, C.; Phillips, D. L.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Photochemistry of iodoform in methanol probed by ultrafast pump-probe and transient resonance Raman: The formation and fate of the iso-CHI2–I photoproduct. ChemPhysChem. 2009, 10, 1895-1900. [Link]
  • [34] Voskresenska, V.; Wilson, R. M.; Panov, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Krause, J. A.; Vyas, S.; Winter, A. H.; Hadad, C. M. Photoaffinity labelling via nitrenium ion chemistry: protonation of the nitrene derived from 4-Amino-3-nitrophenyl azide to afford reactive nitrenium ion pairs. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 11535-11547. [Link]
  • [33] Dietzek, B.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Yartsev, A. Visualizing overdamped wavepacket motion: excited-state isomerization of pseudocyanine in viscous solvents. Chem. Phys. 2009, 357, 54-62. [Link]
  • [32] Hewa-Kasakarage, N. N.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Schmall, N.; Kirsanova, M.; Nemchinov, A.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Bezryadin, A.; Zamkov, M. The effect of dielectric friction on the rate of charge separation in type II ZnSe/CdS semiconductor nanorods. App. Phys. Lett. 2009, 94, 133113/1-3. [Link]
  • [31] Hewa-Kasakarage, N. N.; Kirsanova, M.;  Nemchinov, A.; Schmall, N.; El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Zamkov, M. Radiative recombination of spatially-extended excitons in ZnSe/CdS heterostructured nanorods. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 1328–1334. [Link]
  • [30] El-Khoury, P. Z.; Olivucci, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Switching dissociation into molecular iodine elimination through isomerization: the F2C-I-I Isomer of difluorodiiodomethane. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2008, 462, 192-195. [Link]
  • [29] El-Khoury, P. Z.; Tarnovsky, Ultrafast formation of I2 following 350-nm photodissociation of difluorodiiodomethane in n-hexane. A. N. Chem. Phys. Lett., 2008, 453, 160-166. [Link]
  • [28] Dietzek, B.; Yartsev A.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Watching ultrafast barrierless excited-state isomerization of pseudocyanine in real-time. J. Phys. Chem. B., 2007. 111, 4520-4526. [Link]
  • [27] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Pascher, I.; Pascher, T. The reactivity of the iso-diiodomethane and iso-iodoform isomers towards the double bond of a variety of cycloalkenes. J. Phys. Chem. A., 2007, 111, 11814-11817. [Link]
  • [26] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Gawelda, W.; Saes, M.; Bressler, C.; Chergui, M. Femtosecond photolysis of aqueous ruthenium (II)-tris(2,2’-bipyridine) under high-excitation density conditions. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 26497-26505. [Link]
  • [25] Liu, Ya-J.; Ajitha, D.; Wisborg-Krogh, J.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Lindh, R. Spin-orbit ab initio investigation on the photolysis of bromoiodomethane. ChemPhysChem, 2006, 7, 955-963. [Link]
  • [24] Gawelda, W.; Bressler, C.; Saes, M.; Kaiser, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Grolimund, D.; Johnson, S. L.; Abela, R.; Chergui, M. Picosecond time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy of solvated organometallic complexes. Physica Scripta, 2005, T115, 102-106. [Link]

1988-2004

  • [23] Odelius, M.; Kadi, M.; Davidsson, J.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Photodissociation of diiodomethane in acetonitrile solution and fragment recombination into iso-diiodomethane studied with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 121, 2208-2214. [Link]
  • [22] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Sundström, V.; Åkesson, E.; Pascher, T. Photochemistry of diiodomethane in solution studied by femtosecond and nanosecond laser photolysis. Formation and dark reactions of the CH2I—I Isomer photoproduct and its role in cyclopropanation of olefins. J. Phys. Chem. A, 2004, 108, 237-249. [Link] Corrections: ibid. 2005, 109, 954. [Link]
  • [21] saes, M.; Gawelda, W.; Kaiser, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Bressler, C.; Chergui, M. Ultrafast time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy of chemical systems. Synch. Rad. News 2003, 16, 12-20. [Link]
  • [20] Wall, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Pascher, T.; Sundström, V.; Åkesson, E. Photodissociation dynamics of iodoform in solution. J. Phys. Chem. A 2003, 107, 211-217. [Link]
  • [19] Rasmusson, M.; Lindh, R.; Lascoux, N.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Kadi, M.; Kühn, O.; Sundström, V.; Åkesson, E. Photodissociation of bromobenzene in solution. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2002, 367, 759-766 [Link].
  • [18] Rasmusson, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Pascher, T. Sundström, V.; Åkesson, E. Photodissociation of CH2ICH2I, CF2ICF2I and CF2BrCF2I in solution. J. Phys. Chem. A 2002, 106, 7090-7098. [Link]
  • [17] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Wall, M.; Gustafsson, M.; Lascoux, N.; Sundström, V. Åkesson, E., Ultrafast study of the photodissociation of bromoiodomethane in acetonitrile upon 266 nm excitation. J. Phys. Chem. A 2002, 106, 5999-6005. [Link]
  • [16] Batyuto, Ya. V.; Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Step photoisomerization of dicarbocyanine dyes. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 2002, 93, 399-407. [Link]
  • [15] Kadi, M.; Davidsson, J.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Rasmusson, M.; Åkesson, E. Photodissociation of aryl halides in the gas phase studied with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 350, 93-98. [Link]
  • [14] Rasmusson, M.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Åkesson, E.; Sundström, V. On the use of two-photon absorption for determination of femtosecond pump-probe cross-correlation functions. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 335, 201-208. [Link]
  • [13] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Wall, M.; Rasmusson, M.; Pascher, T.; Åkesson, Photodissociation dynamics of chloroiodomethane in acetonitrile studied by ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. E. J. Chinese Chem. Soc. 2000, 47, 769-722. Special Issue. [Link]
  • [12] Bonch-Bruevich, A. M.; Kaliteevskaya, E. N.; Razumova, T. K.; Roshal’, A. D.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Absorption and fluorescent properties of pyrylium compounds: I. The nature of electronic transitions and structural rearrangement in the excited state. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 2000, 89, 216-224. [Link]
  • [11] Bonch-Bruevich, A. M.; Gadonas, R.; Kaliteevskaya, E. N.; Krasauskas, V.; Pyalakauskas, A.; Razumova, T. K.; Roshal’, A. D.; Tarnovsky, A. N., Absorption and fluorescent properties of pyrylium compounds: II. Spectra and cross-sections for absorption from the ground and excited states of the structurally rearranged form. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 2000, 89, 712-720. [Link]
  • [10] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Alvares, J.-L.; Yartsev, A. P.; Sundström, V.; Åkesson, E. Photodissociation dynamics of diiodomethane in solution. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1999, 312, 121-130. [Link]
  • [9] Kaliteevskaya, E. N.; Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, Effect of photoisomerization upon the process of lasing in solutions of symmetric and asymmetric cyanine dyes. A. N. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1999, 86, 126-133.
  • [8] Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky A. N., Effect of the electron-donating end groups on absorption spectra and thermodynamic stabilities of photoisomers of symmetric di- and tricarbocyanine dyes. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1999, 86, 692-698. [Link]
  • [7] Shi, X.; Borguet, E.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Eisenthal, K. B. Ultrafast dynamics and structure at aqueous interfaces by second harmonic generation. Chem. Phys. 1996, 205, 167-178. [Link]
  • [6] Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Isomerization of the 1,1′-diethyl 2,2’-dicarbocyanine iodide (DDI) in the ground and first excited states. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1995, 78, 56-63. [Link]
  • [5] Tarnovsky, A. N.; Razumova, T. K.; Shchelkina, E. P.; Veselova, T. V. Photophysical, photochemical, and lasing characteristics of symmetric and asymmetric di- and tricarbocyanine dyes. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1993, 74, 65-78. [Link]
  • [4] Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N. Effect of excitation conditions on the relationships of photoisomer concentrations and their relaxation kinetics in 3,3′-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1992, 73, 662-670. [Link]
  • [3] Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Shchelkina, E. P. Inhomogeneous broadening of the absorption Spectrum and isomeric transformations in asymmetric dicarbocyanines: The influence of the electron-donor ability of the nuclei. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1991, 72, 604-611. [Link]
  • [2] Gadonas, R.; Kaliteevskaya, E. N.; Krasauskas, V.; Pyalakauskas, A.; Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Shchelkina, E. P., Nature of the broadening of the absorption spectra of asymmetric dicarbocyanines. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1990, 68, 184-187. [Link]
  • [1] Kaliteevskaya, E. N.; Razumova, T. K.; Tarnovsky, A. N.; Shchelkina, E. P., Multiband lasing and induced losses in solution of asymmetric polymethine dyes. Opt. Spectrosc. (USA) 1988, 65, 499-503. [Link]

Updated: 04/14/2026 04:35PM