title: Visualizing chemical reactions in solution by picosecond x-ray diffraction.
abstract: We present a time-resolved x-ray diffraction study to monitor the recombination of laser-dissociated iodine molecules dissolved in CCl4. The change in structure of iodine is followed during the whole recombination process. The deexcitation of solute molecules produces a heating of the solvent and induces tiny changes in its structure. The variations in the distance between pairs of chlorine atoms in adjacent CCl4 molecules are probed on the mA length scale. However, the most striking outcome of the present work is the experimental determination of temporally varying atom-atom pair distribution functions. Variations of the mean density of the solution during thermal expansion are also followed in real time. One concludes that not only time-resolved optical spectroscopy but also time-resolved x-ray diffraction can be used to monitor atomic motions in liquids.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Physik der Universitaet Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plech
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.forename: Savo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bratos
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mirloup
authors.forename: Rodolphe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vuilleumier
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schotte
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Anfinrud
mesh_terms: D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000737:chemistry; D007455:Iodine / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D012996:Solutions; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D007455:Iodine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride