Two-dimensional UV spectroscopy: a new insight into the structure and dynamics of biomolecules

Two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopy, originally developed for nuclear magnetic resonance, has been recently extended to the infrared and visible regimes. In this technique sequences of femtosecond light pulses are used to interrogate molecular systems and show, by a double Fourier transform, the correlation between excitation and detection frequencies. Extension to the ultraviolet (UV) regime is of great interest and promises to deliver rich structural and dynamical information on biomolecules such as DNA and proteins; however, it must overcome significant technical challenges. This review summarizes the current development status of 2DUV spectroscopy. After discussing the scientific case for the technique, we introduce its basic principles and review its experimental implementations, as well as the computational tools that have been developed to model the experiments. We conclude by giving a few application examples, which highlight the potential of 2DUV spectroscopy and motivate its further development.