Femtosecond real-time probing of reactions. I. The technique

Article abstract of DOI:10.1063/1.455427

When a chemical bond is broken in a direct dissociation reaction, the process is so rapid that it has generally been considered instantaneous and therefore unobservable.But the fragments formed interact with one another for times on the order of 10^-13 s after the photon has been absorbed.On this time scale the system passes through intermediate transition configurations; the totality of such configurations have been, in the recent literature, designated as transition states. Femtosecond transition-state spectroscopy ( FTS ) is a real-time technique for probing chemical reactions.It allows the direct observation of a molecule in the process of falling apart or in the process of formation.In this paper, the first in a series on femtosecond real-time probing of reactions, we examine the technique in detail.The concept of FTS is explored, and the interrelationship between the dynamics of chemical reactions and molecular potential energy surfaces is considered.The experimental method, which requires the generation of spectrally tunable femtosecond optical pulses, is detailed.Illustrative results from FTS experiments for several elementary reactions are presented, and we describe methods for relating these results to the potential energy surface(s).

Full text of DOI:10.1063/1.455427

Femtosecond realtime probing of reactions. I. The technique
Mark J. Rosker, Marcos Dantus, and Ahmed H. Zewail
Citation: J. Chem. Phys. 89, 6113 (1988); doi: 10.1063/1.455427
View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.455427
View Table of Contents: http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/JCPSA6/v89/i10
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Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions

Downloaded 17 Sep 2013 to 142.150.190.39. This article is copyrighted as indicated in the abstract. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://jcp.aip.org/about/rights_and_permissions