Electronic and structural dynamics in transition metal complexes – recent results from synchrotron and XFEL experiments

Program Description

In photochemical processes the eventual outcome of the reaction is often governed by the very first steps in the reaction sequence, steps which may take place on femto- or picosecond time scales. This talk will highlight a series of synchrotron and XFEL experiments aimed at characterizing such ultrafast dynamics in the condensed (liquid) phase. Emphasis will be on how combined X-ray spectroscopic and scattering-based techniques can be applied to obtain a “Molecular Movie” describing the electronic and structural dynamics in photo-excited transition-metal molecules on the these very short time scales. A few of the interesting challenges encountered when utilizing novel X-ray sources and detector systems will also be discussed.