Ultrafast X-rays capture chemistry unfolding atom by atom
Scientists used ultrafast X-ray flashes to observe how energy moves through a molecule at the atomic level immediately after light absorption. This technique allows researchers to track chemical reactions in real time, providing insights into how molecules change shape and redistribute energy.
Why it matters
This research could lead to advancements in understanding light-driven processes, such as how DNA protects itself from UV damage or how to improve light-harvesting materials.
Scientists have observed how energy moves through a molecule immediately after it absorbs light, revealing that individual atoms can record very different parts of the transformation.
Using rapid X-ray flashes produced at the European XFEL, the researchers followed changes at specific atoms as the molecule released and redistributed the absorbed energy. Their results show that exposure to light can make an atom more responsive to the movement of neighboring atoms.
The technique gives scientists a way to examine extremely fast chemical reactions at the atomic scale and in real time. It could eventually improve understanding of how DNA withstands light exposure, how energy travels through materials designed to harvest light, and how other fundamental light-driven processes occur.
The researchers studied 3-fluoropyridine, a small ring-shaped molecule containing both nitrogen and fluorine atoms.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in