title: Optical studies of single molecules at room temperature.
abstract: Recent developments in optical studies of single molecules at room temperature are reviewed, with an emphasis on the underlying principles and the potential of single-molecule experiments. Examples of single-molecule studies are given, including photophysics and photochemistry pertinent to single-molecule measurements, spectral fluctuations, Raman spectroscopy, diffusional motions, conformational dynamics, fluorescence resonant energy transfer, exciton dynamics, and enzymatic turnovers. These studies illustrate the information obtainable with the single-molecule approach that is hidden in ensemble-averaged measurements.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, PO Box 999, K8-88, Richland, Washington 99352, USA. xsxie@pnl.gov
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Trautman