The groundbreaking discovery, made by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, unlocks the door to developing new ways of controlling chemical reactions with light.
“This is the first direct look at how light couples with a chemical reaction,” senior author Daniel Neumark said in a press release. “This level of control over chemical reactions using light will open up new possibilities for chemical synthesis and new directions in solar energy design and catalysis.”
The researchers investigated a chemical reaction called the Norrish Type II fragmentation, in which a molecule absorbs light and then breaks apart. This reaction is important in many fields, including atmospheric chemistry and organic synthesis.
To observe this reaction in real-time, the researchers used a technique called ultrafast photoelectron spectroscopy. This technique uses a laser to excite electrons in a molecule and then measures how long it takes for the electrons to escape from the molecule. By measuring the time delay between the laser pulse and the emission of electrons, the researchers were able to track the progress of the chemical reaction.
The researchers found that the reaction begins with the molecule absorbing a photon of light, which excites an electron into a higher energy level. This excited electron then moves around the molecule, causing the bonds between the atoms to weaken and eventually break.
The team says the results of their study could lead to the development of new ways to control chemical reactions with light. This could have a wide range of applications, from developing new drugs and materials to improving the efficiency of solar energy conversion.
The study is published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
