1. Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

The opportunities that exist for application of the new brilliant X-ray light sources in chemical problems are enormous. The massive increases in flux increases the incisiveness and relevance of structural studies, converting diffraction and spectroscopies from static activities into ways of tracking chemical processes in space and in time. 

New imaging techniques can provide sub micron scale distributions of chemical environments, solid state phases and magnetic domains. Chemistry is moving out from the confines of the identification of single compounds to textured materials. Synchrotron light sources provide exceptional scope for unravelling structural complexities.

 

2. What has motivated you to conduct this work?

My prime interest is to understand how metal catalysts work. Mostly these are not crystalline - they are either solutions or complex solids. Time resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy allows us to identify catalyst structures under operating conditions. It shows that the structures often do change from those at the beginning and end of the reactions and any conclusions drawn from such ex situ measurements may be questionable. It is only with this new generation storage ring sources that there is sufficient intensity to achieve these measurements on a relevant timescale.

 

3. Where do you see this work developing in the future?

Our own work is developing in two ways. Firstly we are establishing a time resolved high-throughput methodology for in situ studies so that efficient screening can be carried out to establish the catalysts of prime interest. Secondly we aim to reduce the timescales of measurements from milli- to micro- seconds to more readily identify reaction transients.

 

4. Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area?

Perhaps the ultimate change is to monitor the true dynamics of catalytic steps. For this structures will have to be established on a femtosecond timescale. This is demanding on sample (to achieve a uniform site condition), for both pump and probe light sources and for detectors.