Published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg, Germany. They used a technique called ultrafast electron diffraction to record the molecular changes triggered by two photons of light.
"We were able to see how the electrons in a molecule redistribute themselves after absorbing two photons," said study lead author Benjamin Feinberg, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. "This allowed us to follow the molecular changes in real time, providing a detailed view of how molecules respond to light."
The researchers studied a molecule called diphenylacetylene, which is a simple organic molecule consisting of two phenyl rings connected by a triple bond between two carbon atoms. When the molecule absorbs two photons of light, it undergoes a chemical reaction called a photodimerization, where the two phenyl rings form a new bond with each other.
Using ultrafast electron diffraction, the researchers were able to capture the molecular changes associated with this reaction on a timescale of femtoseconds (one femtosecond is one millionth of one billionth of a second). They observed how the electrons in the molecule move and redistribute themselves, leading to the formation of the new bond between the two phenyl rings.
This detailed understanding of how molecules respond to light could have significant implications for fields such as chemistry, materials science, and medicine. For example, it could help scientists design new materials that are more efficient at absorbing light and converting it into energy, such as in solar cells. Additionally, it could aid in the development of light-activated drugs that could be precisely targeted to specific sites within the body.
"Our work opens up new possibilities for studying the dynamics of chemical reactions and understanding how molecules interact with light," said study senior author Daniel Neumark, a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. "This knowledge will be essential for developing new technologies that harness the power of light for energy conversion and other applications."
The team's findings represent a significant step forward in the field of molecular moviemaking and provide a deeper understanding of the fundamental processes that occur when molecules interact with light.
