Molecule snapshot by explosion

Exploding a photo subject in order to take a picture? The European XFEL, the world's largest X-ray laser, was used by an international research team to take pictures of complex molecules. The scientists used the facility to take snapshots of gas-phase iodopyridine molecule at atomic resolution. The image was reconstructed from the pieces after the X-ray laser caused the molecule to explode. This technique has not been able to provide clear images of complex molecules.

Researchers hope to use the images to observe details of biochemical and chemical reactions at high resolution in the future. The method we use is particularly promising for investigating photochemical processes and is being used by the core team. Such processes in which chemical reactions are triggered by light are of great importance both in the laboratory and in nature.

A high-intensity and ultra- short X-ray laser pulse knocks out electrons from a molecule. A millionth of a billionth of a second is the time it takes for a molecule to explode. The individual ionized fragments are registered by a detector.

The Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) at DESY is one of the first authors of Coulomb explosion imagery.

The European XFEL has a film studio for the images. The REMI reaction microscope applies electric fields to direct charged fragments onto a detector. The location and time of impact of the fragments are determined and used to reconstruct the product of mass and velocity.

It is possible to track very light atoms such as hydrogen in chemical reactions. The technique enables detailed investigations of individual molecules in the gas phase, and is a complement to the development of films for liquids and solids at other European XFEL instruments.

We want to understand fundamental photochemical processes. There is no interference from the environment in the gas phase. The technique we use can be used to study individual, isolated molecules. They are working on investigating molecular dynamics as the next step, so that individual images can be combined into a real movie, and have already conducted the first of these experiments.

More information: Rebecca Boll, X-ray multiphoton-induced Coulomb explosion images complex single molecules, Nature Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01507-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41567-022-01507-0 Journal information: Nature Physics Citation: Molecule snapshot by explosion (2022, February 21) retrieved 21 February 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-molecule-snapshot-explosion.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.