Photocrystallography Captures Big Changes in Transient Molecular Species
October 13, 2004 | Source: KurzweilAI
University at Buffalo scientists have reported the first experimental measurements of structures of high-energy states of molecules that exist for just millionths of a second.
Led by Philip Coppens, Ph.D., the UB scientists used a “photocrystallography” technique that uses intense laser light and X-ray diffraction to reveal the structure of highly reactive molecules in these transient states.
“In the time-resolved studies, we take very short snapshots to capture fleeting transient states of molecules,” said Coppens. “Knowledge of the structure of such transient species is essential to the understanding of catalytic, photochemical and biological processes.”