For a complete list of publications, see the following links:
If you are new to this field, have a look at our popular science articles first:
T.P.J. Krüger, M.S. Gwizdala, “A smart ‘switch’ in photosynthesis holds lessons for solar technology”, The Conversation Africa, 28 Nov. 2016.
T.P.J. Krüger, “Water-dwelling organisms show new ways to harvest light for solar tech”, The Conversation Africa, 18 Dec. 2017.
M.S. Gwizdala and T.P.J. Krüger, “How the discovery of a protein’s secret function could boost solar tech”, The Conversation Africa, 28 June 2018.
M.S. Gwizdala and T.P.J. Krüger, “Proteins reveal intricate details about life under the microscope”, The Conversation Africa, 5 December 2018.
T.P.J. Krüger and E. Roduner, “Unpacking a mystery of physics: Why processes in nature operate only in one direction”, The Conversation Africa, 28 February 2022.
RE.SEARCH Magazine Issue 3, “Renewing our thinking about renewable energy” 11 August 2022 (featured on the cover).
Daily Maverick, “Renewing our thinking about renewable energy”/ 13 September 2022.
Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes
Plants
T. P. J. Krüger, V. I. Novoderezhkin, C. Ilioaia, R. van Grondelle, “Fluorescence Spectral Dynamics of Single LHCII Trimers.” Biophys J, 98:3093–3101 (2010). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.03.028
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, R. van Grondelle, “Fluorescence Intermittency from the Main Plant Light-Harvesting Complex: Resolving Shifts between Intensity Levels.” J Phys Chem B 115:5071–5082 (2011). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jp201609c
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, L. Valkunas, R. van Grondelle, “Fluorescence Intermittency from the Main Plant Light-Harvesting Complex: Sensitivity to the Local Environment.” J Phys Chem B 115:5083–5095 (2011). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jp109833x
T. P. J. Krüger, E. Wientjes, R. Croce, R. van Grondelle, “Conformational Switching Explains the Intrinsic Multifunctionality of Plant Light-Harvesting Complexes.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108:13516-13521 (2011). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1105411108
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, M. P. Johnson, A. V. Ruban, E. Papagiannakis, P. Horton, R. van Grondelle, “Controlled Disorder in Plant Light-Harvesting Complex II Explains its Photoprotective Role.” Biophys J 102: 2669–2676 (2012). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.04.044
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, M. P. Johnson, E. Belgio, P. Horton, A. V. Ruban, R. van Grondelle, “The Specificity of Controlled Protein Disorder in the Photoprotection of Plants” Biophys J 105:1018–1026 (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.07.014 *Selected for editor’s choice
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, M. P. Johnson, A. V. Ruban, R. van Grondelle, “Disentangling the Low-Energy States of the Major Light-Harvesting Complex of Plants and their Role in Photoprotection.” Biochim Biophys Acta 1837:1027-1038 (2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2014.02.014
C. Ramanan, J. M. Gruber, P. Maly, M. Negretti, V. I. Novoderezhkin, T. P. J. Krüger, T. Mančal, R. Croce, R. van Grondelle, “Site Specific Mutation Elucidates the Role of Exciton Delocalization in the Lowest Energy State Cluster of LHCII Monomer.” Biophys J 108 (5): 1047-1056 (2015). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2015.01.019
G. S. Schlau-Cohen, H.-Y. Yang, T. P. J. Krüger, P. Xu, M. Gwizdala, R. van Grondelle, R. Croce, W. E. Moerner. “Single-molecule Identification of Quenched and Unquenched States of LHCII.” J Phys Chem Lett 6: 860-867 (2015). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00034
J.M. Gruber, J. Chmeliov, T.P.J. Krüger, L. Valkunas, R. van Grondelle, “Singlet–triplet annihilation in single LHCII complexes.” Phys Chem Chem Phys 17 (30): 19844-19853 (2015). DOi: https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CP01806D
J.M. Gruber, P. Xu, J. Chmeliov, T.P.J. Krüger, M.T.A. Alexandre, L. Valkunas, R. Croce and R. van Grondelle, “Dynamic quenching in single photosystem II supercomplexes.” Phys Chem Chem Phys 18: 25852-25860 (2016). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CP05493E
Cyanobacteria (Phycobilisomes)
Accompanying Conversation article: https://theconversation.com/a-smart-switch-in-photosynthesis-holds-lessons-for-solar-technology-66602
Accompanying Conversation article: https://theconversation.com/how-the-discovery-of-a-proteins-secret-function-could-boost-solar-tech-98407
Accompanying Conversation article: https://theconversation.com/proteins-reveal-intricate-details-about-life-under-the-microscope-106886)
T.P.J. Krüger, R. van Grondelle, M.S. Gwizdala, “The role of far-red spectral states in the energy regulation of phycobilisomes.” Biochim. Biophys. Acta – Bioenergetics 1860:341-349 (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.01.007
Md. Wahadoszamen*, T.P.J. Krüger*, A.M Ara, R. van Grondelle, M.S. Gwizdala, “Charge-transfer states in phycobilisomes.” Biochim. Biophys. Acta – Bioenergetics 1861:148187 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148187
G.T. Assefa, T.P.J. Krüger, and M. Gwizdala, “Phycobilisomes’ secret life unravelled with single molecule spectroscopy”, Proc. SPIE 11650, Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Superresolution Imaging XIV, 1165006 (5 March 2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2583009
M. Gwizdala P.H. Lebre, G. Maggs-Kölling, E. Marais, D.A. Cowan, T.P.J. Krüger, “Sub-lithic photosynthesis in hot desert habitats.” Environ Microbiol 23:3867–3880 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.1550
Accompanying article in Physics Today, 14 Oct. 2021, “Exposing the secrets of desert extremophiles”
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/PT.6.1.20211014a
Diatoms
Accompanying Conversation article: https://theconversation.com/water-dwelling-organisms-show-new-ways-to-harvest-light-for-solar-tech-88801
Bacteria
A. Gall, C. Ilioaia, T.P.J. Krüger, B. Robert, R. van Grondelle, “Conformational Changes in a Single Light-Harvesting Protein as Followed by Fluorescence Spectroscopy.” Biophys J 108 (11): 2713-2720 (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.04.017
C. Ilioaia, T.P.J. Krüger, O. Ilioaia, B. Robert, R. van Grondelle, A. Gall, “Apoprotein heterogeneity increases spectral disorder and a step-wise modification of the B850 fluorescence peak position.” Biochim Biophys Acta – Bioenergetics 1859:137-144 (2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.11.003
Hypoliths
Accompanying Newsletter article: See page 23 here: https://bit.ly/3yd2xeT
Review articles
T.P.J. Krüger, R. van Grondelle, “Design principles of natural light-harvesting as revealed by single molecule spectroscopy.” Physica B: Condensed Matter, 480:7-13 (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2015.08.005
T.P.J. Krüger, R. van Grondelle, “The role of energy losses in photosynthetic light harvesting” J Phys B: At Mol Opt Phys 50: 132001 (2017) DOI: 10.1088/1361-6455/aa7583. *Invited review
J.M. Gruber, P. Maly, T.P.J. Krüger, R. van Grondelle, “From isolated light-harvesting complexes to the thylakoid membrane:a single-molecule perspective” Nanophotonics 7:81-92 (2018). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2017-0014
Headline Review on Quantum Biology: A. Marais, B. Adams, A. Ringsmuth, M. Ferretti, J.M. Gruber, R. Hendrikx, M. Schuld, S.L. Smith, I. Sinayskiy, T.P.J. Krüger, F. Petruccione, R. van Grondelle, “The future of quantum biology.” J R Soc Interface 15: 20180640 (2018). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2018.0640
Accompanying blog article: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2019/02/the-future-of-quantum-biology/
Theory
L. Valkunas, J. Chmeliov, T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, R. van Grondelle, “How Photosynthetic Proteins Switch.” J Phys Chem Lett 3:2779–2784 (2012). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jz300983r
J. Chmeliov, L. Valkunas, T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, R. van Grondelle, “Fluorescence Blinking of Single Major Light-Harvesting Complexes.” New J Phys 15:085007 (2013). DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/085007
J.A. Nöthling, T.P.J. Krüger, T. Mančal, “A phenomenological description of the bath and its effect in photosynthetic light-harvesting systems” in The Proceedings of the 60__th Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP2015), edited by Makaiko Chithambo (RU) and André Venter (NMMU) (2015), pp. 527 - 531. ISBN: 978-0-620-70714-5 (2016).
J.A. Nöthling, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Accuracy of approximate methods for the calculation of absorption-type linear spectra with a complex system–bath coupling”, J. Chem. Phys. 157: 095103 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0100977
Method development: SMS & SPT
Solar-cell materials
A.T. Paradzah, M. Diale, K. Maabong, T.P.J. Krüger, “Use of interfacial layers to prolong hole lifetimes in hematite probed by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy” Physica B: Condensed Matter 535:138-142 (2018). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2017.06.088
A.T. Paradzah, K. Maabong, H.M.A.M. Elnour, A. Singh, M. Diale, T.P.J. Krüger, “Identification of exciton-exciton annihilation in hematite thin films.” J Phys Chem C 123:18676-18684 (2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b04664
J.S. Nyarige, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale. “Structural and optical properties of hematite and L-arginine/hematite nanostructures prepared by thermal spray pyrolysis.” Surfaces and Interfaces 18:100394 (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2019.100394
J.S. Nyarige, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale. “Effects of L-arginine concentration on hematite nanostructures synthesized by spray pyrolysis and chemical bath deposition.” Physica B: Condensed Matter 581:411924 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2019.411924
S. Congolo, M.J. Madito, A.T Paradzah, A.J. Harrison, H.M.A.M. Elnour, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale. “Reduction of recombination rates due to volume increasing, annealing, and tetraethoxysilicate treatment in hematite thin films.” Appl Nanosci 10, 1957–1967 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-020-01264-7
J.S. Nyarige, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale. “Influence of precursor concentration and deposition temperature on the photoactivity of hematite electrodes for water splitting.” Mater Today Commun 25: 101459 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2020.101459
A.T. Paradzah, K. Maabong-Tau, M. Diale, T.P.J. Krüger,.”Photoelectrochemical Performance and Ultrafast Dynamics of Photogenerated Electrons and Holes in Highly Titanium-Doped Hematite” Phys Chem Chem Phys 22:27450-27457 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CP04954A
J.S. Nyarige, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale. “Influence of precursor concentration and deposition temperature on the photoactivity of hematite electrodes for water splitting.” Mater Today Commun 25: 101459 (2020) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2020.101459
A.T. Paradzah, K. Maabong-Tau, M. Diale, T.P.J. Krüger,.”Photoelectrochemical Performance and Ultrafast Dynamics of Photogenerated Electrons and Holes in Highly Titanium-Doped Hematite” Phys Chem Chem Phys 22:27450-27457 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CP04954A
J.S. Nyarige, A.T. Paradzah, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Diale, “Mono-doped and co-doped nanostructured hematite for improved photoelectrochemical water splitting” Nanomaterials 12:366 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12030366
H. Saito, T. Uchiyama, Y. Okada-Shudo, W. Mammo, T.P.J. Krüger, V. Vohra, N. A. Tegegne, “Benzodithiophene unit copolymerization to improve the stability of thiophene-based organic solar cells”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 56: 044007 (2023), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/aca987
E. Asmare, F.G. Hone, W. Mammo, T.P.J. Krüger, N.A. Tegegne, “Investigation into Aggregation Types in a Benzodithiophene-Isoindigo Copolymer”, J. Chem. Phys. 159: 034901 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0151318
L.T. Nchinda, N.A. Tegegne, W. Mammo, Z. Genene, T.P.J. Krüger, “Unveiling the Thermal Stability of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Terpolymers: A Key Element for Enhanced Efficiency and Stability of Organic Solar Cells” New J Chem 48: 10201–10212 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NJ05210A
Plasmonics
F. Kyeyune, J.L. Botha, B. van Heerden, P. Maly, R. van Grondelle, M. Diale, T.P.J. Krüger. “Strong plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of individual plant light-harvesting complexes.” Nanoscale 11:15139-15146 (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9NR04558A
L.C. Ugwuoke, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances of simple tunable plasmonic nanostructures.” Plasmonics 15:189–200 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-019-01019-3
L.C. Ugwuoke, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Plasmonic Quantum Yield Enhancement of a Single Molecule Near a Nanoegg.” J Appl Phys 127: 203103 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0007985 (arXiv:2002.09399)
L.C. Ugwuoke, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Optical Properties of a Nanoegg-Nanorod Heterodimer: A Quasi-Static Analysis” J Opt Soc Am B 37: A293-A303 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.399015
L.C. Ugwuoke, F. Kyeyune, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Modelling of plasmon-enhanced fluorescence in a single light-harvesting complex near a gold nanorod”, Proc. SPIE 11661, Plasmonics in Biology and Medicine XVIII, 116610E (5 March 2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2583000
L.C. Ugwuoke, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Plasmonic Quantum Yield Enhancement of a Single Molecule Near a Nanoegg.” J Appl Phys 127: 203103 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0007985 (arXiv:2002.09399) *Editor’s pick
L.C. Ugwuoke, T. Mančal and T.P.J. Krüger, “Optical Properties of a Nanoegg-Nanorod Heterodimer: A Quasi-Static Analysis” J Opt Soc Am B 37: A293-A303 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.399015
L.C. Ugwuoke, F. Kyeyune, T. Mančal, T.P.J. Krüger, “Modelling of plasmon-enhanced fluorescence in a single light-harvesting complex near a gold nanorod”, Proc. SPIE 11661, Plasmonics in Biology and Medicine XVIII, 116610E (5 March 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2583000
L.C. Ugwuoke, T.P.J. Krüger, “Theoretical Studies and Simulation of Gold–Silica–Gold Multilayer “Fanoshells” for Sensing Applications” ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 5:6249–6259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.2c00302, arXiv:2201.03607
L.C. Ugwuoke, T.P.J. Krüger, M. Tame, “Effects of nanoparticle geometry on photon statistics”, in The Proceedings of SAIP2022, the 66th Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics, edited by Prof. Aletta Prinsloo, (UJ), pp. 274 – 278 (21 December 2022) ISBN: 978-0-6397-4426-1.
Available online at https://events.saip.org.za/event/225/page/546-the-proceedings-of-saip2022
Optics Theory
C. Mafusire, T.P.J. Krüger, “Strehl ratio and amplitude-weighted generalized orthonormal Zernike-based polynomials”, Appl Opt 56:2336-2345 (2017). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.56.002336
C. Mafusire, T.P.J. Krüger, “Orthonormal vector polynomials in general pupils derived from the Cartesian gradient of the orthonormal Zernike-based polynomials using the Gauss-Jordan elimination method” J Opt Soc Am A 35:840-849 (2018). DOI: 10.1364/JOSAA.35.000840
C. Mafusire, T.P.J. Krüger, “Local and curvature divergence in first order optics.” J. Opt. 20:0965603 (2018). DOI: 10.1088/2040-8986/aabf06
C. Mafusire, T.P.J. Krüger. “Zernike coefficients of a circular Gaussian pupil.” J Mod Opt. 67:7, 577-591 (2020), DOI: 10.1080/09500340.2020.1759712
Other
R. A. Burger, T. P. J. Krüger, M. Hitge, N. E. Engelbrecht, “A Fisk-Parker Hybrid Heliospheric Magnetic Field with A Solar-Cycle Dependence.” Astrophys J 674:511–519 (2008).
D. C. Onwudiwe, T. P. J. Krüger, O. S. Oluwatobi, C. A. Strydom, “Nanosecond Laser Irradiation Synthesis of CdS Nanoparticles in a PVA System”, Appl Surface Sci 290:18-26 (2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.10.165
D. C. Onwudiwe, T. P. J. Krüger, C. A. Strydom, Laser Assisted Solid State Reaction for the Synthesis of ZnS and CdS Nanoparticles from Metal Xanthate, Mater Lett 116, 154-159 (2014). DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2013.10.118
L. Sitole, F. Steffens, T. P. J. Krüger, D. Meyer, “Mid-ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Profiling of HIV/AIDS Sera for Novel Systems Diagnostics in Global Health.” OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology 18:1-11 (2014). DOI: 10.1089/omi.2013.0157
D. C. Onwudiwe, T. P. J Krüger, A. Jordaan, C. A. Strydom. “Laser-Assisted Synthesis, Structural, and Thermal Properties of ZnS Nanoparticles Stabilized in Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone”, Appl Surface Sci, 321:197-204 (2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.10.022
J.C. Lech, S.I. Dorfsman, Z. Répás, T.P.J. Krüger, I.M. Gyalai, L.G. Boros, “What to feed or what not to feed-that is still the question. Metabolomics 17, 102 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-021-01855-7
E. Roduner and T.P.J. Krüger, “The origin of irreversibility and thermalization in thermodynamic processes”, Physics Reports 944:1-43 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2021.11.002
Associated Cassyni Research Seminar: https://doi.org/10.52843/cassyni.b9fs93
Book chapters
T. P. J. Krüger, V. I. Novoderezhkin, E. Romero, R. van Grondelle, “Photosynthetic Energy Transfer and Charge Separation in Higher Plants”, In: “The Biophysics of Photosynthesis”, Vol 11, pp. 79-118, J. Golbeck and A. van der Est (Eds.); (Series: “Biophysics for the Life Sciences”), Springer, Dordrecht, (2014). ISBN 978-1-4939-1147-9. Link: http://www.springer.com/physics/biophysics+%26+biological+physics/book/978-1-4939-1147-9
T. P. J. Krüger, C. Ilioaia, M. Alexandre, P. Horton, and R. van Grondelle, “How Protein Disorder Controls NPQ”, In: “Non-Photochemical Quenching and Energy Dissipation in Plants, Algae and Cyanobacteria”, B. Demmig-Adams, G. Garab, W. Adams III, and Govindjee (Eds.) (“Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration”; Series Editors: Govindjee and T. D. Sharkey), Springer, Dordrecht (2014). ISBN 978-94-017-9031-4. Link: http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/plant+sciences/book/978-94-017-9031-4
Book
Emil Roduner, Tjaart Krüger, Patricia Forbes, Katharina Kreß, “Optical Spectroscopy – Fundamentals and Advanced Applications” World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd (2018). Link: https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/q0182
Other non-academic articles
J.C. Lech, T.P.J. Krüger, L.G. Boros, T.K. Monsees, H. Abrahamse, N. Komane, et al. (2021). World Health Organization - International EMF Project - International Advisory Committee (IAC) - 25th anniversary of the International EMF Project and the 10th Optical Radiation meeting, South Africa National Report 2021. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14769729.v1
J.C. Lech, T.P.J. Krüger, L.G. Boros, D. Venter, A. Obajuluwa, H. Abrahamse, et al. (2022). World Health Organization - International EMF Project - International Advisory Committee (IAC) - 11th anniversary of the International Optical Radiation and 26th anniversary of EMF Project meeting, South Africa National Report 2022. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20012759.v1
K.A. Assamagan et al. “Report of the Second African Conference on Fundamental and Applied Physics, ACP2021”, 6 April 2022 [https://arxiv.org/pdf/2204.01882.pdf]
T.P.J. Krüger, B.T. Sewell, L. Norris, “The African Biophysics Landscape: A Provisional Status Report”, 25 Mar. 2023 [arXiv:2303.14456v1]
T.P.J. Krüger, “Biophysics in Africa: challenges, priorities, and hopes”, 8 Mar. 2024 [arXiv:2403.05609]