Ultrafast table-top X-ray spectroscopy at the carbon K-edge is used to measure the X-ray spectral features of benzene radical cations (Bz). The ground state of the cation is prepared selectively by two-photon ionization of neutral benzene, and the X-ray spectra are probed at early times after the ionization by transient absorption using X-rays produced by high harmonic generation (HHG). Bz is well-known to undergo Jahn-Teller distortion, leading to a lower symmetry and splitting of the π orbitals. Comparison of the X-ray absorption spectra of the neutral and the cation reveals a splitting of the two degenerate π* orbitals as well as an appearance of a new peak due to excitation to the partially occupied π-subshell. The π* orbital splitting of the cation, elucidated on the basis of high-level calculations in a companion theoretical paper [Vidal et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.0c08732], is discovered to be due to both the symmetry distortion and even more dominant spin coupling of the unpaired electron in the partially vacant π orbital (from ionization) with the unpaired electrons resulting from the transition from the 1s core orbital to the fully vacant π* orbitals.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.0c08736DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

table-top x-ray
8
x-ray spectroscopy
8
benzene radical
8
π* orbitals
8
spectroscopy benzene
4
cation
4
radical cation
4
cation ultrafast
4
ultrafast table-top
4
x-ray
4

Similar Publications

Table-top source for x-ray absorption spectroscopy with photon energies up to 350 eV.

Rev Sci Instrum

October 2024

Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47057 Duisburg, Germany.

We present a table-top setup for x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) based on high harmonic generation (HHG) in noble gases. Using sub-millijoule pump pulses at a central wavelength of 1550 nm, broadband HHG in the range of 70-350 eV was demonstrated. The HHG coherence lengths of several millimeters were achieved by reaching the nonadiabatic regime of harmonic generation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A rod pinch diode (RPD) is introduced as a compact and efficient source for high-brightness hard x-ray radiation.
  • The study demonstrates the performance of a low-impedance RPD using a tabletop driver, achieving a short-circuit current of ~325 kA with a rapid rise time of 110 ns.
  • The x-ray output includes a small focal spot size (<0.6 mm) and excellent imaging resolution (over 10 lp/mm), with significant photon energy and potential applications in flash radiography and dynamic x-ray diffraction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Focused ultrasonographic imaging techniques are commonly used for cats and dogs; however, such techniques have not been described in rabbits.

Methods: Focused abdominal ultrasonography was performed on 12 healthy conscious rabbits using four acoustic windows: xiphisternal, left and right renal and cystic. They were positioned in sternal recumbency on a table top, with a cut-out area to allow access to the ventral abdomen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Deciphering Photoinduced Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms in Natural and Artificial Photosynthetic Systems on Multiple Temporal and Spatial Scales Using X-ray Probes.

Chem Rev

May 2024

Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.

Utilization of renewable energies for catalytically generating value-added chemicals is highly desirable in this era of rising energy demands and climate change impacts. Artificial photosynthetic systems or photocatalysts utilize light to convert abundant CO, HO, and O to fuels, such as carbohydrates and hydrogen, thus converting light energy to storable chemical resources. The emergence of intense X-ray pulses from synchrotrons, ultrafast X-ray pulses from X-ray free electron lasers, and table-top laser-driven sources over the past decades opens new frontiers in deciphering photoinduced catalytic reaction mechanisms on the multiple temporal and spatial scales.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The development of a new ultracompact Kirkpatrick-Baez (ucKB) mirror allows for high-performance focusing of soft-X-rays, achieving a tiny focus size of 20.4 nm at 2 keV.
  • * This innovation enhances soft-X-ray fluorescence microscopy and enables detailed subcellular chemical mapping, improving the analysis of specimen structure and elemental distribution using efficient tabletop X-ray sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!