Dewey Holten

Dewey Holten

​Professor of Chemistry
PhD, University of Washington, Seattle
BA, Washington University in St. Louis
research interests:
  • Physical and Biophysical Chemistry
  • Primary Reactions of Photosynthesis
  • Tetrapyrrole Photophysics
  • Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy

contact info:

mailing address:

  • Washington University
    CB 1134
    One Brookings Dr.
    St. Louis, MO 63130-4899

Professor Holten’s research interests include the initial reactions of photosynthesis and photophysical studies of tetrapyrrole chromophores and arrays. The goals of his lab's photosynthesis research are to achieve a molecular-level understanding of charge separation in the bacterial reaction center and design of mutants that endow the reaction enter with properties not realized in nature.  The goals of the tetrapyrrole research are to elucidate the electronic properties of natural and synthetic tetrapyrroles, address fundamental questions in energy and electron transfer, and tailor systems for a range of applications. 

In the reaction center pigment-protein complex, light energy is converted into chemical potential energy by a series of fast electron transfers across the membrane from the photoexcited bacteriochlorophyll special dimer along a chain of electron acceptors on the photoactive A-branch with a quantum yield of ~1. His lab is studying mutants to (1) modulate the rate constants, yields and mechanisms of charge separation versus recombination at each step on both A and B branches, and (2) give electron transfer fully down the normally inactive B branch. The studies of tetrapyrrole chromophores (porphyrin, chlorin, bacteriochlorin) are aimed at elucidating the interplay between molecular composition, electronic structure, and photophysical properties. These properties include absorption and emission spectra and the rate constants and yields of the singlet excited-state decay pathways (fluorescence, internal conversion, intersystem crossing). Studies of multichromophore arrays probe fundamental aspects of energy and electron transfer including the potential effects of coherence phenomena.  The collective studies provide insights and design principles that for constructing chromophores and arrays for use in solar-energy and life-sciences research.

Selected Publications

Switching Sides - Re-Engineered Primary Charge Separation in the Bacterial Photosynthetic Reaction Center, P. D. Laible, D. K. Hanson, J C. Burhmaster, G. A. Tira, K. M. Faries, D. Holten, and C. Kirmaier, Proc. Nat Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020, 117, 865-871.

Photophysical Properties and Electronic Structure of Zinc(II) Porphyrins Bearing Zero to Four meso-Phenyl Substituents – Zinc Porphine to Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), N. C. M. Magdaong, M. Taniguchi, J. R. Diers, D. M. Niedzwiedzki, C. Kirmaier, J. S. Lindsey, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, J. Phys. Chem. A. 2020, 124, 7777-7794.

Comprehensive Review of Photophysical Parameters (e, Ff, ts) of Tetraphenylporphyrin (H2TPP) and Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) – Critical Benchmark Molecules in Photochemistry and Photosynthesis, M. Taniguchi, J. S. Lindsey, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, Journal of Photochemisty & Photobiochemistry C: Photochemistry Reviews 2021, 46, 100401.

The Fluorescence Quantum Yield Parameter in Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) – Meaning, Misperception, and Molecular Design, J. S. Lindsey, M. Taniguchi, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, Chem. Phys. Rev. 2021, 2, 011302.  

In Situ, Protein-Mediated Generation of a Photochemically Active Chlorophyll Analog in a Mutant Bacterial Photosynthetic Reaction Center, N. C. M. Magdaong, J. C. Buhrmaster, K. M. Faries, H. Liu, G. A. Tira, J. S. Lindsey, D. K. Hanson, D. Holten, P. D. Laible, and C. Kirmaier, Biochemistry 2021, 60, 1260-1275.

A Perspective on the Redox Properties of Tetrapyrrole Macrocycles, J. R. Diers, C. Kirmaier, M. Taniguchi, J. S. Lindsey, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23, 19130-19140.

Photosynthetic Reaction Center Variants Made Via Genetic Code Expansion Indicate Tyrosine at M210 Tunes the Mechanism for Primary Electron Transfer, J. B. Weaver, C-Y. Lin, K. M. Faries, I. Mathews, S. Russi, D. Holten, C. Kirmaier, and Steven G. Boxer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science U.S.A.  2021, 118, e211643911.

Beyond Green with Synthetic Chlorophylls – Connecting Structural Features with Spectral Properties, M. Taniguchi, D. F. Bocian, D. Holten and J. S. Lindsey, Journal of Photochemistry and Biology C. Photochemistry Reviews 2022, 52, 100513-100592.

Probing the Effects of Electronic-Vibrational Resonance on the Rate of Excited-State Energy Transfer in Bacteriochlorin Dyads, N. C. M. Magdaong, H. Jing, J. R. Diers, C. Kirmaier, J. S. Lindsey, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 7906-7910.

High Yield of B-side Electron Transfer at 77 K in the Photosynthetic Reaction Center Protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, N.C. M. Magdaong, K. M. Faries, J. C. Buhrmaster, G. A. Tira, R. M. Wyllie, C. E. Kohout, D. K. Hanson, P. D. Laible, D. Holten, and C. Kirmaier, J. Phys. Chem. B 2022, 126, 8940-8956.

Balancing Panchromatic Absorption and Multistep Charge Separation in a Compact Molecular Architecture, A. Roy, N. C. M. Magdaong, H. Jing, J. Rong, J. R. Diers, H.  S. Kang, D. M. Niedzwiedzki, M. Taniguchi, C. Kirmaier, J. S. Lindsey, D. F. Bocian, and D. Holten, J. Phys. Chem A  2022, 126, 9352-9365.

Dyads with Tunable Near-Infrared Donor-Acceptor Excited-State Energy Gaps: Molecular Design and Förster Analysis for Ultrafast Energy Transfer, H. Jing, N. C. M. Magdaong, J. R. Diers, C. Kirmaier, D. F. Bocian, D. Holten, and J. S. Lindsey, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2023, 25, 1827-1847.

Investigation of a Bacteriochlorin-Containing Pentad Array for Panchromatic Light-Harvesting and Charge Separation, H. Jing, N. C. M. Magdaong, J. R. Diers, C. Kirmaier, D. F. Bocian, D. Holten, and J. S. Lindsey, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2023, 25, 1781-1798.

Extension of Nature's NIR-I Chromophore into the NIR-II Region, K. Siwawannapong, J. R. Diers, N. C. M. Magdaong, P. Nalaoh, C. Kirmaier, J. S. Lindsey, D. Holten, and D. F. Bocian, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2024, 26, 14228-14243.

Two Pathways to Understanding Electron Transfer in Reaction Centers from Photosynthetic Bacteria: A Comparison of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodobacter capsulatus Mutants, K. M. Faries, D. K. Hanson, J. C. Buhrmaster, S. Hippleheuser, G. A. Tira, R. M. Wyllie, C. E. Kohout, N. M. Magdaong, D. Holten, P. D. Laible, and C. Kirmaier, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2024, 1865, 149047

in the news:

Switching tracks: Understanding photosynthesis

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