Application of stopped flow techniques and energy dispersive EXAFS for investigation of the reactions of transition metal complexes in solution: activation of nickel beta-diketonates to form homogeneous catalysts, electron transfer reactions involving iron(III) and oxidative addition to iridium(I).

Stopped-flow techniques of rapid mixing have been combined with energy dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy to monitor the reaction of Ni(dpm)2 [dpm = Bu1C(O)CHC(O)Bu1] by aluminium alkyls (AlEt2X, X = OEt and Et) to form the active species for the catalytic di- and tri-merisation of hex-1-ene. Acquisition times down to ca. 30 ms were achieved on Station 9.