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Terahertz spectroscopy – Ask the Water!

Terahertz (THz) dance of water

THz spectroscopy a sensitive tool to probe solute-induced changes in the collective water network motions. Time-resolved THz spectroscopy investigates the solvation dynamics of biological processes such as protein folding, enzyme activity, water dynamics and calorimetry.



Would you like to read lots of great publications on this topic? You can find them in our list of publications

To our publications


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Acid-base reactions at gold-water interfaces: New ways to optimize by solvation tuning

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Carbon nanotube sensors: Fluorescence correlates with THz absorption of hydration.

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Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS): Driving forces are changes in hydration entropy and enthalpy.


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Proton traffic jam in nano-confinement: Dependence on size and concentration.

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Hydrogen bond network around an alcohol: Two layers of HB-wrap and HB-hydration2bulk.

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Correlation with Hofmeister series: This is how ions and water interact microscopically.

Selected Publications
  • S.S. Nalige, P. Galonska, P. Kelich, L. Sistemich, C. Herrmann, L. Vukovic, S. Kruss, M. Havenith, Fluorescence changes in carbon nanotube sensors correlate with THz absorption of hydration, Nat. Commun. 15, 6770 (2024).
  • S. Murke, W. Chen, S. Pezzotti, M. Havenith, Tuning acid-base chemistry at an electrified gold/water interface, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146, 12423–12430 (2024).
  • S. Pezzotti, B. König, S. Ramos, G. Schwaab, M. Havenith, Liquid–liquid phase separation? Ask the water!, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 14, 1556–1563 (2023).
  • F. Novelli, K. Chen, A. Buchmann, T. Ockelmann, C. Hoberg, T. Head-Gordon, M. Havenith, The birth and evolution of solvated electrons in the water, PNAS 120, e2216480120 (2023).
  • S. Pezzotti, F. Sebastiani, E.P. van Dam, S. Ramos, V. Conti Nibali, G. Schwaab, M. Havenith, Spectroscopic fingerprints of cavity formation and solute insertion as a measure of hydration entropic loss and enthalpic gain, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 61, e202203893 (2022).
  • E.M. Adams, H. Hao, I. Leven, M. Rüttermann, H. Wirtz, M. Havenith, T. Head-Gordon, Proton traffic jam: Effect of nanoconfinement and acid concentration on proton hopping mechanism, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60, 25419–25427 (2021).
  • S.R. Alfarano, S. Pezzotti, C.J. Stein, Z. Lin, F. Sebastiani, S. Funke, C. Hoberg, I. Kolling, C.Y. Ma, K. Mauelshagen, T. Ockelmann, G. Schwaab, L. Fu, J.-B. Brubach, P. Roy, M. Head-Gordon, K. Tschulik, M.-P. Gaigeot, M. Havenith, Stripping away ion hydration shells in electrical double layer formation: Water networks matter, PNAS 118, e2108568118 (2021).
  • V. Conti Nibali, S. Pezzotti, F. Sebastiani, D. Galimberti, G. Schwaab, M. Heyden, M.-P. Gaigeot, M. Havenith, Wrapping up hydrophobic hydration: Locality matters, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 11, 4809–4816 (2020).
  • G. Schwaab, F. Sebastiani, M. Havenith, Ion hydration and ion pairing as probed by THz spectroscopy, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 3000–3013 (2019).
  • F. Böhm, G. Schwaab, M. Havenith, Mapping hydration water around alcohol chains by THz calorimetry, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 9981–9985 (2017).