Investigation of transient structures of photo-induced chemical reactions in solution with ultrafast XUV-photoelectron spectroscopy

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Bernd Abel
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2004 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5430197

In the present project ultrashort XUV radiation in the range 1-4 nm (and 13 nm) will be generated employing our recently developed laser driven liquid gas and polymer jet plasma sources. In ultrafast pump and probe experiments transient structures of photo induced chemical reactions in solution will be investigated by ultrafast XUV-photoelectron spectroscopy. For this investigation we use a thin liquid jet (5-8 µm) of the solvent in vacuum containing the solute molecules. For sufficiently high energy radiation (Ehv 400 eV) 1s core electrons can be ejected from the liquid phase near the interface region of the liquid beam, collected with a skimmer close to the solvent beam, and analyzed with an electron spectrometer. Their kinetic energy provides information about the chemical environment (intramolecular and intermolecular) of the (C-, O-, N-) atoms in the molecules under investigation. The time resolved ESCA technique (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis) applied to the dynamics of organic molecules in solution in combination with high level quantum chemistry will enable us to unambiguously characterize transient structures, transition states, and microscopic mechanisms of photo induced chemical reactions which in turn allows for an understanding of the relationship between structure and reactivity of the systems investigated.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1134: Transient structures in condensed matter investigated by ultrafast x-ray techniques
• Participating Person: Dr. Manfred Faubel