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Electrons in alcohol – concerted molecule and charge motions at terahertz frequencies

Researchers observed a novel type of excitation, called a polaron, where collective oscillations of the electron and its screening cloud arise at terahertz frequencies. These oscillations persist for tens of picoseconds and are impulsively triggered by ultrafast electron localization.

PFAS chemicals do not last forever

Researchers at UC Riverside discover that adding iodide to a water treatment reactor using ultraviolet (UV) light and sulfite can destroy up to 90% of PFAS chemicals in just a few hours. This method accelerates the reaction four times, saving energy and chemicals, and enables the treatment of ten times higher concentrations of PFAS.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalEnvironmental Science & Technology·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2022

An ultrafast X-ray glance into photoacid electronic structure

Researchers have provided direct insight into the electronic structure of a proton donating group in an amine aromatic photoacid using ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy. The study reveals major electronic structure changes occur on the base side of the Förster cycle, resolving the long-standing open question.

SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalAngewandte Chemie·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 25, 2022

Productive cascade

A German team led by Thorsten Bach successfully synthesized agarozizanol B, a complex sesquiterpene with potential pharmaceutical applications. The researchers developed a photochemical reaction cascade to form the molecule from an indanone derivative, achieving both enantiomers of the natural product.

SourceWiley·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 8, 2021

Chemists give chance a helping hand

A team of chemists at the University of Münster has developed a strategy for generating random hits in a systematic way, discovering new reactions and gaining deeper understanding of molecular processes. The study identified three previously unknown reactions, including a photochemical cycloaddition.

SourceUniversity of Münster·JournalChem·DateJul 1, 2019

A microscopic approach to the magnetic sensitivity of animals

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new microscope that can observe magnetic sensitivity in photochemical reactions within sub-cellular structures. The microscope, called TOAD imaging, allows for the detection of radical pairs formed from flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and their response to weak magnetic fields.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateJun 4, 2015

Dynamic spectroscopy duo

Researchers developed a new technique to study photochemical reactions, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of electronic and molecular dynamics. This breakthrough could answer questions about photochemical and photobiological systems, enabling the development of more efficient solar energy systems and nanomaterials.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 17, 2014