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Lee Y, Oang KY, Kim D, Ihee H. A comparative review of time-resolved x-ray and electron scattering to probe structural dynamics. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:031301. [PMID: 38706888 PMCID: PMC11065455 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The structure of molecules, particularly the dynamic changes in structure, plays an essential role in understanding physical and chemical phenomena. Time-resolved (TR) scattering techniques serve as crucial experimental tools for studying structural dynamics, offering direct sensitivity to molecular structures through scattering signals. Over the past decade, the advent of x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) and mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction (MeV-UED) facilities has ushered TR scattering experiments into a new era, garnering significant attention. In this review, we delve into the basic principles of TR scattering experiments, especially focusing on those that employ x-rays and electrons. We highlight the variations in experimental conditions when employing x-rays vs electrons and discuss their complementarity. Additionally, cutting-edge XFELs and MeV-UED facilities for TR x-ray and electron scattering experiments and the experiments performed at those facilities are reviewed. As new facilities are constructed and existing ones undergo upgrades, the landscape for TR x-ray and electron scattering experiments is poised for further expansion. Through this review, we aim to facilitate the effective utilization of these emerging opportunities, assisting researchers in delving deeper into the intricate dynamics of molecular structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Key Young Oang
- Radiation Center for Ultrafast Science, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Daejeon 34057, South Korea
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2
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Nimmrich A, Panman MR, Berntsson O, Biasin E, Niebling S, Petersson J, Hoernke M, Björling A, Gustavsson E, van Driel TB, Dohn AO, Laursen M, Zederkof DB, Tono K, Katayama T, Owada S, Nielsen MM, Davidsson J, Uhlig J, Hub JS, Haldrup K, Westenhoff S. Solvent-Dependent Structural Dynamics in the Ultrafast Photodissociation Reaction of Triiodide Observed with Time-Resolved X-ray Solution Scattering. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37163700 PMCID: PMC10375522 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c00484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Resolving the structural dynamics of bond breaking, bond formation, and solvation is required for a deeper understanding of solution-phase chemical reactions. In this work, we investigate the photodissociation of triiodide in four solvents using femtosecond time-resolved X-ray solution scattering following 400 nm photoexcitation. Structural analysis of the scattering data resolves the solvent-dependent structural evolution during the bond cleavage, internal rearrangements, solvent-cage escape, and bond reformation in real time. The nature and structure of the reaction intermediates during the recombination are determined, elucidating the full mechanism of photodissociation and recombination on ultrafast time scales. We resolve the structure of the precursor state for recombination as a geminate pair. Further, we determine the size of the solvent cages from the refined structures of the radical pair. The observed structural dynamics present a comprehensive picture of the solvent influence on structure and dynamics of dissociation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amke Nimmrich
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matthijs R Panman
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Oskar Berntsson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisa Biasin
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Stephan Niebling
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jonas Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Hoernke
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Björling
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emil Gustavsson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tim B van Driel
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Asmus O Dohn
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland, VR-III, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Mads Laursen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Diana B Zederkof
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kensuke Tono
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Katayama
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Shigeki Owada
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Martin M Nielsen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jan Davidsson
- Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jens Uhlig
- Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University, Box 124, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jochen S Hub
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kristoffer Haldrup
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University, Box 124, 22100 Lund, Sweden
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3
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Katayama T, Choi TK, Khakhulin D, Dohn AO, Milne CJ, Vankó G, Németh Z, Lima FA, Szlachetko J, Sato T, Nozawa S, Adachi SI, Yabashi M, Penfold TJ, Gawelda W, Levi G. Atomic-scale observation of solvent reorganization influencing photoinduced structural dynamics in a copper complex photosensitizer. Chem Sci 2023; 14:2572-2584. [PMID: 36908966 PMCID: PMC9993854 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc06600a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Photochemical reactions in solution are governed by a complex interplay between transient intramolecular electronic and nuclear structural changes and accompanying solvent rearrangements. State-of-the-art time-resolved X-ray solution scattering has emerged in the last decade as a powerful technique to observe solute and solvent motions in real time. However, disentangling solute and solvent dynamics and how they mutually influence each other remains challenging. Here, we simultaneously measure femtosecond X-ray emission and scattering to track both the intramolecular and solvation structural dynamics following photoexcitation of a solvated copper photosensitizer. Quantitative analysis assisted by molecular dynamics simulations reveals a two-step ligand flattening strongly coupled to the solvent reorganization, which conventional optical methods could not discern. First, a ballistic flattening triggers coherent motions of surrounding acetonitrile molecules. In turn, the approach of acetonitrile molecules to the copper atom mediates the decay of intramolecular coherent vibrations and induces a further ligand flattening. These direct structural insights reveal that photoinduced solute and solvent motions can be intimately intertwined, explaining how the key initial steps of light harvesting are affected by the solvent on the atomic time and length scale. Ultimately, this work takes a step forward in understanding the microscopic mechanisms of the bidirectional influence between transient solvent reorganization and photoinduced solute structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Katayama
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute Kouto 1-1-1, Sayo Hyogo 679-5198 Japan.,RIKEN SPring-8 Center 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo Hyogo 679-5148 Japan
| | - Tae-Kyu Choi
- XFEL Division, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory Jigok-ro 127-80 Pohang 37673 Republic of Korea
| | | | - Asmus O Dohn
- Science Institute, University of Iceland 107 Reykjavík Iceland .,DTU Physics, Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | | | - György Vankó
- Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-1525 Budapest Hungary
| | - Zoltán Németh
- Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-1525 Budapest Hungary
| | | | - Jakub Szlachetko
- SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University PL-30392 Kraków Poland
| | - Tokushi Sato
- European XFEL Holzkoppel 4, Schenefeld 22869 Germany
| | - Shunsuke Nozawa
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) 1-1 Oho Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 Japan.,Department of Materials Structure Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies 1-1 Oho Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Adachi
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) 1-1 Oho Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 Japan.,Department of Materials Structure Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies 1-1 Oho Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 Japan
| | - Makina Yabashi
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo Hyogo 679-5148 Japan
| | - Thomas J Penfold
- Chemistry-School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle Upon-Tyne NE1 7RU UK
| | - Wojciech Gawelda
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco 28047 Madrid Spain.,IMDEA-Nanociencia, Campus Cantoblanco C/Faraday 9 28049 Madrid Spain.,Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University 61-614 Poznań Poland
| | - Gianluca Levi
- Science Institute, University of Iceland 107 Reykjavík Iceland
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4
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Jeong H, Ki H, Kim JG, Kim J, Lee Y, Ihee H. Sensitivity of
time‐resolved
diffraction data to changes in internuclear distances and atomic positions. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haeyun Jeong
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Hosung Ki
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Goo Kim
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Jungmin Kim
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Yunbeom Lee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Hyotcherl Ihee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Daejeon Republic of Korea
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5
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Choi EH, Lee Y, Heo J, Ihee H. Reaction dynamics studied via femtosecond X-ray liquidography at X-ray free-electron lasers. Chem Sci 2022; 13:8457-8490. [PMID: 35974755 PMCID: PMC9337737 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00502f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) provide femtosecond X-ray pulses suitable for pump–probe time-resolved studies with a femtosecond time resolution. Since the advent of the first XFEL in 2009, recent years have witnessed a great number of applications with various pump–probe techniques at XFELs. Among these, time-resolved X-ray liquidography (TRXL) is a powerful method for visualizing structural dynamics in the liquid solution phase. Here, we classify various chemical and biological molecular systems studied via femtosecond TRXL (fs-TRXL) at XFELs, depending on the focus of the studied process, into (i) bond cleavage and formation, (ii) charge distribution and electron transfer, (iii) orientational dynamics, (iv) solvation dynamics, (v) coherent nuclear wavepacket dynamics, and (vi) protein structural dynamics, and provide a brief review on each category. We also lay out a plausible roadmap for future fs-TRXL studies for areas that have not been explored yet. Femtosecond X-ray liquidography using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) visualizes various aspects of reaction dynamics.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Hyuk Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunbeom Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Heo
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyotcherl Ihee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Center for Advanced Reaction Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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6
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Kim Y, Ma R, Lee J, Harich J, Nam D, Kim S, Kim M, Ochmann M, Eom I, Huse N, Lee JH, Kim TK. Ligand-Field Effects in a Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complex Probed by Femtosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:12165-12172. [PMID: 34914396 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We employ femtosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy of [Ru(m-bpy)3]2+ (m-bpy = 6-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine) to elucidate the time evolution of the spin and charge density upon metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excitation. The core-level transitions at the Ru L3-edge reveal a very short MLCT lifetime of 0.9 ps and relaxation to the lowest triplet metal-centered state (3MC) which exhibits a lifetime of about 300 ps. Time-dependent density functional theory relates ligand methylation to a lower ligand field strength that stabilizes the 3MC state. A quarter of the 3MLCT population appears to be trapped which may be attributed to intramolecular vibrational relaxation or further electron transfer to the solvent. Our results demonstrate that small changes in the ligand field allow control of the photophysical properties. Moreover, this study underscores the high information content of femtosecond L-edge spectroscopy as a probe of valence charge density and spin-state in 4d transition metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Junho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jessica Harich
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Miguel Ochmann
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Nils Huse
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Tae Kyu Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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7
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Gu J, Lee S, Eom S, Ki H, Choi EH, Lee Y, Nozawa S, Adachi SI, Kim J, Ihee H. Structural Dynamics of C 2F 4I 2 in Cyclohexane Studied via Time-Resolved X-ray Liquidography. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9793. [PMID: 34575954 PMCID: PMC8469616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The halogen elimination of 1,2-diiodoethane (C2H4I2) and 1,2-diiodotetrafluoroethane (C2F4I2) serves as a model reaction for investigating the influence of fluorination on reaction dynamics and solute-solvent interactions in solution-phase reactions. While the kinetics and reaction pathways of the halogen elimination reaction of C2H4I2 were reported to vary substantially depending on the solvent, the solvent effects on the photodissociation of C2F4I2 remain to be explored, as its reaction dynamics have only been studied in methanol. Here, to investigate the solvent dependence, we conducted a time-resolved X-ray liquidography (TRXL) experiment on C2F4I2 in cyclohexane. The data revealed that (ⅰ) the solvent dependence of the photoreaction of C2F4I2 is not as strong as that observed for C2H4I2, and (ⅱ) the nongeminate recombination leading to the formation of I2 is slower in cyclohexane than in methanol. We also show that the molecular structures of the relevant species determined from the structural analysis of TRXL data provide an excellent benchmark for DFT calculations, especially for investigating the relevance of exchange-correlation functionals used for the structural optimization of haloalkanes. This study demonstrates that TRXL is a powerful technique to study solvent dependence in the solution phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jain Gu
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Seonggon Lee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Seunghwan Eom
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hosung Ki
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Eun Hyuk Choi
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Yunbeom Lee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Shunsuke Nozawa
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba 305-0801, Ibaraki, Japan; (S.N.); (S.-i.A.)
- Department of Materials Structure Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba 305-0801, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shin-ichi Adachi
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba 305-0801, Ibaraki, Japan; (S.N.); (S.-i.A.)
- Department of Materials Structure Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba 305-0801, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Jeongho Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Korea;
| | - Hyotcherl Ihee
- Department of Chemistry and KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.G.); (S.L.); (S.E.); (H.K.); (E.H.C.); (Y.L.)
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34141, Korea
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8
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Filming ultrafast roaming-mediated isomerization of bismuth triiodide in solution. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4732. [PMID: 34354075 PMCID: PMC8342516 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Roaming reaction, defined as a reaction yielding products via reorientational motion in the long-range region (3 - 8 Å) of the potential, is a relatively recently proposed reaction pathway and is now regarded as a universal mechanism that can explain the unimolecular dissociation and isomerization of various molecules. The structural movements of the partially dissociated fragments originating from the frustrated bond fission at the onset of roaming, however, have been explored mostly via theoretical simulations and rarely observed experimentally. Here, we report an investigation of the structural dynamics during a roaming-mediated isomerization reaction of bismuth triiodide (BiI3) in acetonitrile solution using femtosecond time-resolved x-ray liquidography. Structural analysis of the data visualizes the atomic movements during the roaming-mediated isomerization process including the opening of the Bi-Ib-Ic angle and the closing of Ia-Bi-Ib-Ic dihedral angle, each by ~40°, as well as the shortening of the Ib···Ic distance, following the frustrated bond fission.
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