ABSTRACT
All interaction and assembly mechanisms in living matter start at a molecular scale. This fact makes it quite relevant to study and understand the underlying principles of molecular properties. Because of the small (nanometer) scale, the direct observation of molecular mechanisms is never a straightforward matter. Rather complex setups are required in these studies, in which spectroscopy is used as an analytical tool. The molecules under study are subjected to continuous and/or alternating magnetic fields and/or light. The response of the molecular system to that excitation is then detected and analyzed. From the results a molecular model is proposed that is in agreement with the spectroscopic observations. Complementary conclusions can be drawn and the model can be refined by variation of external parameters such as temperature, pressure, molecular concentration, and type of environment or solvent. Depending on the applied stimuli (magnetic fields, photons, etc.), spectroscopic techniques can be divided into magnetic resonance techniques (1) and optical spectroscopy (2).
