Picosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Research Articles

Photochemical Formation and Electronic Structure of an Alkane σ-Complex from Time-Resolved Optical and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

C-H bond activation reactions with transition metals typically proceed via the formation of alkane σ-complexes, where an alkane C-H σ-bond binds to the metal. Due to the weak nature of metal-alkane bonds, σ-complexes are challenging to characterize experimentally. Here, we establish the complete pathways of photochemical formation of the model σ-complex Cr(CO)5-alkane from Cr(CO)6 in octane solution and characterize the nature of its metal-ligand bonding interactions. Using femtosecond optical absorption spectroscopy, we find photoinduced CO dissociation from Cr(CO)6 to occur within the 100 fs time resolution of the experiment. Rapid geminate recombination by a fraction of molecules is found to occur with a time constant of 150 fs. The formation of bare Cr(CO)5 in its singlet ground state is followed by complexation of an octane molecule from solution with a time constant of 8.2 ps. Picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Cr L-edge and O K-edge provides unique information on the electronic structure of the Cr(CO)5-alkane σ-complex from both the metal and ligand perspectives. Based on clear experimental observables, we find substantial destabilization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital upon coordination of the C-H bond to the undercoordinated Cr center in the Cr(CO)5-alkane σ-complex, and we define this as a general, orbital-based descriptor of the metal-alkane bond. Our study demonstrates the value of combining optical and X-ray spectroscopic methods as complementary tools to study the stability and reactivity of alkane σ-complexes in their role as the decisive intermediates in C-H bond activation reactions.

Solution phase high repetition rate laser pump x-ray probe picosecond hard x-ray spectroscopy at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

We present a dedicated end-station for solution phase high repetition rate (MHz) picosecond hard x-ray spectroscopy at beamline 15-2 of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. A high-power ultrafast ytterbium-doped fiber laser is used to photoexcite the samples at a repetition rate of 640 kHz, while the data acquisition operates at the 1.28 MHz repetition rate of the storage ring recording data in an alternating on-off mode. The time-resolved x-ray measurements are enabled via gating the x-ray detectors with the 20 mA/70 ps camshaft bunch of SPEAR3, a mode available during the routine operations of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. As a benchmark study, aiming to demonstrate the advantageous capabilities of this end-station, we have conducted picosecond Fe K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy on aqueous [FeII(phen)3]2+, a prototypical spin crossover complex that undergoes light-induced excited spin state trapping forming an electronic excited state with a 0.6-0.7 ns lifetime. In addition, we report transient Fe Kβ main line and valence-to-core x-ray emission spectra, showing a unique detection sensitivity and an excellent agreement with model spectra and density functional theory calculations, respectively. Notably, the achieved signal-to-noise ratio, the overall performance, and the routine availability of the developed end-station have enabled a systematic time-resolved science program using the monochromatic beam at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

Ultrafast X-ray Spectroscopy of Haem Proteins

In this article we revisit our recent picosecond and femtosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) experiments, probing the ultrafast electronic and geometric evolution of photoexcited haem proteins, namely ferrous Nitrosyl Myoglobin (MbNO) and ferric Cytochrome c (Cyt c). We show through these two examples, combined with results from ultrafast optical spectroscopy, the universal behavior of the excited state dynamics of ferric and ferrous complexes. Regardless of the type of ligand, its dissociation or lack thereof, or the metal oxidation state, the photoexcited system relaxes through a cascade of excited spin states leading to formation of a high spin state, which in the case of the haem is a domed porphyrin.

X-ray absorption linear dichroism at the Ti K-edge of rutile (001) TiO2 single crystal.

X-ray absorption linear dichroism of rutile TiO2 at the Ti K-edge provides information about the electronic states involved in the pre-edge transitions. Here, linear dichroism with high energy resolution is analyzed in combination with ab initio finite difference method calculations and spherical tensor analysis. It provides an assignment of the three pre-edge peaks beyond the octahedral crystal field splitting approximation and estimates the spatial extension of the corresponding final states. It is then discussed for the first time the X-ray absorption (XAS) of pentacoordinated titanium atoms due to oxygen vacancies and it is found that, similarly to anatase TiO2, rutile is expected to exhibit a transition on the low-energy side of peak A3. Its apparent absence in the experiment is related to the degree of p-d orbital mixing which is small in rutile due to its centrosymmetric point group. A recent XAS linear dichroism study on anatase TiO2 single crystals has shown that peak A2 has an intrinsic origin and is due to a quadrupolar transition to the 3d energy levels. In rutile, due to its centrosymmetric point group, the corresponding peak A2 has a small dipole moment explaining the weak transition. The results are confronted with recent picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy on rutile TiO2 nanoparticles.

UV-photochemistry of the biologically relevant thiol group and the disulfide bond: Evolution of early photoproducts from picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the sulfur K-Edge

We report on the UV-induced photochemistry of the biologically relevant sulfur-containing thiol group and the disulfide bond in solution using picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the sulfur K-edge. This study provides element-specific insight into the 267-nm induced photo-chemistry of two model compounds, an aromatic thiol and an aliphatic disulfide. Our transient spectra point to two primary and several secondary photoproducts, and our analysis may aid in understanding UV damage in proteins.

UV-Photochemistry of the Disulfide Bond: Evolution of Early Photoproducts from Picosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at the Sulfur K-Edge.

We have investigated dimethyl disulfide as the basic moiety for understanding the photochemistry of disulfide bonds, which are central to a broad range of biochemical processes. Picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the sulfur K-edge provides unique element-specific insight into the photochemistry of the disulfide bond initiated by 267 nm femtosecond pulses. We observe a broad but distinct transient induced absorption spectrum which recovers on at least two time scales in the nanosecond range. We employed RASSCF electronic structure calculations to simulate the sulfur-1s transitions of multiple possible chemical species, and identified the methylthiyl and methylperthiyl radicals as the primary reaction products. In addition, we identify disulfur and the CH2S thione as the secondary reaction products of the perthiyl radical that are most likely to explain the observed spectral and kinetic signatures of our experiment. Our study underscores the importance of elemental specificity and the potential of time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy to identify short-lived reaction products in complex reaction schemes that underlie the rich photochemistry of disulfide systems.

Time-resolved Element-selective Probing of Charge Carriers in Solar Materials.

We review our recent results on the implementation of picosecond (ps) X-ray absorption spectroscopy to probe the electronic and geometric structure of centres formed by photoexcitation of solar materials such as TiO2 polymorphs and inorganic Cs-based perovskites. The results show electron localization at Ti defects in TiO2 anatase and rutile and small hole polaron formation in the valence band of CsPbBr3, all within 80 ps. This method is promising for the study of the ultrafast time scales of such processes, especially with the advent of the Swiss X-ray Free Electron Laser (SwissFEL).

Picosecond sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy with applications to excited state proton transfer.

Picosecond X-ray absorption (XA) spectroscopy at the S K-edge (∼2.4 keV) is demonstrated and used to monitor excited state dynamics in a small organosulfur molecule (2-Thiopyridone, 2TP) following optical excitation. Multiple studies have reported that the thione (2TP) is converted into the thiol (2-Mercaptopyridine, 2MP) following photoexcitation. However, the timescale and photochemical pathway of this reaction remain uncertain. In this work, time-resolved XA spectroscopy at the S K-edge is used to monitor the formation and decay of two transient species following 400 nm excitation of 2TP dissolved in acetonitrile. The first transient species forms within the instrument response time (70 ps) and decays within 6 ns. The second transient species forms on a timescale of ∼400 ps and decays on a 15 ns timescale. Time-dependent density functional theory is used to identify the first and second transient species as the lowest-lying triplet states of 2TP and 2MP, respectively. This study demonstrates transient S K-edge XA spectroscopy as a sensitive and viable probe of time-evolving charge dynamics near sulfur sites in small molecules with future applications towards studying complex biological and material systems.

Development of picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy by high-repetition-rate laser pump/X-ray probe at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

A new setup and commissioning of transient X-ray absorption spectroscopy are described, based on the high-repetition-rate laser pump/X-ray probe method, at the 1W2B wiggler beamline at the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility. A high-repetition-rate and high-power laser is incorporated into the setup with in-house-built avalanche photodiodes as detectors. A simple acquisition scheme was applied to obtain laser-on and laser-off signals simultaneously. The capability of picosecond transient X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurement was demonstrated for a photo-induced spin-crossover iron complex in 6 mM solution with 155 kHz repetition rate.

Localized holes and delocalized electrons in photoexcited inorganic perovskites: Watching each atomic actor by picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

We report on an element-selective study of the fate of charge carriers in photoexcited inorganic CsPbBr3 and CsPb(ClBr)3 perovskite nanocrystals in toluene solutions using time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy with 80 ps time resolution. Probing the Br K-edge, the Pb L3-edge, and the Cs L2-edge, we find that holes in the valence band are localized at Br atoms, forming small polarons, while electrons appear as delocalized in the conduction band. No signature of either electronic or structural changes is observed at the Cs L2-edge. The results at the Br and Pb edges suggest the existence of a weakly localized exciton, while the absence of signatures at the Cs edge indicates that the Cs+ cation plays no role in the charge transport, at least beyond 80 ps. This first, time-resolved element-specific study of perovskites helps understand the rather modest charge carrier mobilities in these materials.

Time-resolved X-ray spectroscopies of chemical systems: New perspectives.

The past 3–5 years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of time-resolved X-ray spectroscopic studies, mainly driven by novel technical and methodological developments. The latter include (i) the high repetition rate optical pump/X-ray probe studies, which have greatly boosted the signal-to-noise ratio for picosecond (ps) X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies, while enabling ps X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) at synchrotrons; (ii) the X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) are a game changer and have allowed the first femtosecond (fs) XES and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering experiments to be carried out; (iii) XFELs are also opening the road to the development of non-linear X-ray methods. In this perspective, I will mainly focus on the most recent technical developments and briefly address some examples of scientific questions that have been addressed thanks to them. I will look at the novel opportunities in the horizon.

Towards efficient time-resolved X-ray absorption studies of electron dynamics at photocatalytic interfaces.

We present a picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (tr-XAS) setup designed for synchrotron-based studies of interfacial photochemical dynamics. The apparatus combines a high power, variable repetition rate picosecond laser system with a time-resolved X-ray fluorescence yield detection technique. Time-tagging of the detected fluorescence signals enables the parallel acquisition of X-ray absorption spectra at a variety of pump-probe delays employing the well-defined time structure of the X-ray pulse trains. The viability of the setup is demonstrated by resolving dynamic changes in the fine structure near the O1s X-ray absorption edge of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) after photo-excitation with a 355 nm laser pulse. Two distinct responses are detected. A pronounced, quasi-static, reversible change of the Cu2O O1s X-ray absorption spectrum by up to ∼30% compared to its static line shape corresponds to a redshift of the absorption edge by ∼1 eV. This value is small compared to the 2.2 eV band gap of Cu2O but in agreement with previously published results. The lifetime of this effect exceeds the laser pulse-to-pulse period of 8 μs, resulting in a quasi-static spectral change that persists as long as the sample is exposed to the laser light, and completely vanishes once the laser is blocked. Additionally, a short-lived response corresponding to a laser-induced shift of the main absorption line by ∼2 eV to lower energies appears within <200 ps and decays with a characteristic timescale of 43 ± 5 ns. Both the picosecond rise and nanosecond decay of this X-ray response are simultaneously captured by making use of a time-tagging approach - highlighting the prospects of the experimental setup for efficient probing of the electronic and structural dynamics in photocatalytic systems on multiple timescales.

NO binding kinetics in myoglobin investigated by picosecond Fe K-edge absorption spectroscopy

Diatomic ligands in hemoproteins and the way they bind to the active center are central to the protein's function. Using picosecond Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we probe the NO-heme recombination kinetics with direct sensitivity to the Fe-NO binding after 532-nm photoexcitation of nitrosylmyoglobin (MbNO) in physiological solutions. The transients at 70 and 300 ps are identical, but they deviate from the difference between the static spectra of deoxymyoglobin and MbNO, showing the formation of an intermediate species. We propose the latter to be a six-coordinated domed species that is populated on a timescale of ∼ 200 ps by recombination with NO ligands. This work shows the feasibility of ultrafast pump-probe X-ray spectroscopic studies of proteins in physiological media, delivering insight into the electronic and geometric structure of the active center.

Mapping the Ultrafast Changes of Continuous Shape Measures in Photoexcited Spin Crossover Complexes without Long-Range Order

Establishing a tractable yet complete reaction coordinate for the spin-state interconversion in d4–d7 transition metal complexes is an integral aspect of controlling the dynamics that govern their functionality. For spin crossover phenomena, the limitations of a single-mode approximation that solely accounts for an isotropic increase in the metal–ligand bond length have long been recognized for all but the simple octahedral monodentate FeII compounds. However, identifying the coupled deformations that also impact on the unimolecular rate constants remains experimentally and theoretically challenging, especially for samples that do not display long-range order or when crystallization profoundly alters the dynamics. Owing to the rapid progress in ultrafast X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), it is now possible to obtain transient structural information in any physical phase with unprecedented details. Using picosecond XAS and DFT modeling, the structure adopted by the photoinduced high-spin state of solvated [Fe(terpy)2]2+ (terpy: 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) has been recently established. Based on these results, the methodology of the continuous shape measure is applied to classify and quantify the short-lived distortion of the first coordination shell. The reaction coordinate of the spin-state interconversion is clearly identified as a double axial bending. This finding sets a benchmark for gauging the influence of first-sphere and second-sphere interactions in the family of FeII complexes that incorporate terpy derivatives. Some implications for the optimization of related photoactive FeII complexes are also outlined.

Mapping of the Photoinduced Electron Traps in TiO2 by Picosecond X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most popular material for applications in solar-energy conversion and photocatalysis, both of which rely on the creation, transport, and trapping of charges (holes and electrons). The nature and lifetime of electron traps at room temperature have so far not been elucidated. Herein, we use picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti K-edge and the Ru L3-edge to address this issue for photoexcited bare and N719-dye-sensitized anatase and amorphous TiO2 nanoparticles. Our results show that 100 ps after photoexcitation, the electrons are trapped deep in the defect-rich surface shell in the case of anatase TiO2, whereas they are inside the bulk in the case of amorphous TiO2. In the case of dye-sensitized anatase or amorphous TiO2, the electrons are trapped at the outer surface. Only two traps were identified in all cases, with lifetimes in the range of nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds.

Mapping of the Photoinduced Electron Traps in TiO2 by Picosecond X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy

AbstractTitanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most popular material for applications in solar‐energy conversion and photocatalysis, both of which rely on the creation, transport, and trapping of charges (holes and electrons). The nature and lifetime of electron traps at room temperature have so far not been elucidated. Herein, we use picosecond X‐ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti K‐edge and the Ru L3‐edge to address this issue for photoexcited bare and N719‐dye‐sensitized anatase and amorphous TiO2 nanoparticles. Our results show that 100 ps after photoexcitation, the electrons are trapped deep in the defect‐rich surface shell in the case of anatase TiO2, whereas they are inside the bulk in the case of amorphous TiO2. In the case of dye‐sensitized anatase or amorphous TiO2, the electrons are trapped at the outer surface. Only two traps were identified in all cases, with lifetimes in the range of nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds.

Probing the Anisotropic Distortion of Photoexcited Spin Crossover Complexes with Picosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

For numerous spin crossover complexes, the anisotropic distortion of the first coordination shell around the transition metal center governs the dynamics of the high-spin/low-spin interconversion. However, this structural parameter remains elusive for samples that cannot be investigated with crystallography. The present work demonstrates how picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy is able to capture this specific deformation in the photoinduced high-spin state of solvated [Fe(terpy)2]2+, a complex which belongs to the prominent family of spin crossover building blocks with nonequivalent metal–ligand bonds. The correlated changes in Fe–NAxial, Fe–NDistal, and bite angle NDistal–Fe–NAxial extracted from the measurements are in very good agreement with those predicted by DFT calculations in D2d symmetry. The outlined methodology is generally applicable to the characterization of ultrafast nuclear rearrangements around metal centers in photoactive molecular complexes and nanomaterials, including those that do not display long-range order.

Probing the dynamics of plasmon-excited hexanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles by picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is used to investigate the electronic and structural dynamics initiated by plasmon excitation of 1.8 nm diameter Au nanoparticles (NPs) functionalised with 1-hexanethiol. We show that 100 ps after photoexcitation the transient XAS spectrum is consistent with an 8% expansion of the Au-Au bond length and a large increase in disorder associated with melting of the NPs. Recovery of the ground state occurs with a time constant of ∼1.8 ns, arising from thermalisation with the environment. Simulations reveal that the transient spectrum exhibits no signature of charge separation at 100 ps and allows us to estimate an upper limit for the quantum yield (QY) of this process to be <0.1.

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Ground and Excited Rhenium–Carbonyl–Diimine Complexes: Evidence for a Two-Center Electron Transfer

Steady-state and picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to study the ground and lowest triplet states of [ReX(CO)(3)(bpy)](n+), X = Etpy (n = 1), Cl, or Br (n = 0). We demonstrate that the transient spectra at both the Re L(3)- and Br K-edges show the emergence of a pre-edge feature, absent in the ground-state spectrum, which is associated with the electron hole created in the highest occupied molecular orbital following photoexcitation. Importantly, these features have the same dynamics, confirming previous predictions that the low-lying excited states of these complexes involve a two-center charge transfer from both the Re and the ligand, X. We also demonstrate that the DFT optimized ground and excited structures allow us to reproduce the experimental XANES and EXAFS spectra. The ground-state structural refinement shows that the Br atom contributes very little to the latter, whereas the Re-C-O scattering paths are dominant due to the so-called focusing effect. For the excited-state spectrum, the Re-X bond undergoes one of the largest changes but still remains a weak contribution to the photoinduced changes of the EXAFS spectrum.

Probing the Transition from Hydrophilic to Hydrophobic Solvation with Atomic Scale Resolution

Picosecond and femtosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to probe the changes of the solvent shell structure upon electron abstraction of aqueous iodide using an ultrashort laser pulse. The transient L(1,3) edge EXAFS at 50 ps time delay points to the formation of an expanded water cavity around the iodine atom, in good agreement with classical and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These also show that while the hydrogen atoms pointed toward iodide, they predominantly point toward the bulk solvent in the case of iodine, suggesting a hydrophobic behavior. This is further confirmed by quantum chemical (QC) calculations of I(-)/I(0)(H(2)O)(n=1-4) clusters. The L(1) edge sub-picosecond spectra point to the existence of a transient species that is not present at 50 ps. The QC calculations and the QM/MM MD simulations identify this transient species as an I(0)(OH(2)) complex inside the cavity. The simulations show that upon electron abstraction most of the water molecules move away from iodine, while one comes closer to form the complex that lives for 3-4 ps. This time is governed by the reorganization of the main solvation shell, basically the time it takes for the water molecules to reform an H-bond network. Only then is the interaction with the solvation shell strong enough to pull the water molecule of the complex toward the bulk solvent. Overall, much of the behavior at early times is determined by the reorientational dynamics of water molecules and the formation of a complete network of hydrogen bonded molecules in the first solvation shell.