Open AccessExperimental requirements for light‐induced reactions in powders investigated by time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction
Author(s) -
Davaasambuu J.,
Durand P.,
Techert S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of synchrotron radiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 99
ISSN - 1600-5775
DOI - 10.1107/s090904950402463x
Subject(s) - diffraction , picosecond , x ray , x ray crystallography , materials science , powder diffraction , laser , optics , penetration depth , excited state , chemistry , crystallography , physics , atomic physics
A general outline of how to perform a light‐excited time‐resolved diffraction experiment by applying the optical pump/X‐ray probe technique is given. Owing to the difference in penetration depths between the optical light (laser) pump and the X‐ray probe, only specific or specially designed crystalline systems can be investigated, so special requirements have to be fulfilled concerning the sample and its compartments. A summary of the experimental conditions of optical pump/X‐ray probe experiments is presented, emphasizing why the use of powder diffraction is a useful and necessary X‐ray technique for this kind of experiment. The possibilities and bottlenecks of time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction on the picosecond time scale will be demonstrated in the powder diffraction studies of N , N ‐dimethylaminobenzonitrile and N , N ‐diisopropylaminobenzonitrile, where the photo‐induced structural changes of these molecular organic systems have been studied as a function of time.