Schematic diagram of a megaelectronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction experiment for dibromopropane molecules
[충청뉴스 이성현 기자] A domestic research team succeeded in capturing the birth and change process of gas ions in real time.
The Institute for Basic Science (IBS)’s research team led by Lee Hyo-cheol of the Advanced Reaction Dynamics Research Center observed the process of the creation and change of ions in the gaseous state in real time. In this process, it was discovered that ions form products through previously unknown stages, such as a structural dark state.
From real life to space, ions play an important role everywhere. From the lithium-ion batteries in smartphones, the food we eat is absorbed and produces energy, and the light and energy coming from the sun are all the result of ionic activity.
However, despite its importance, not much research has been done on changes in the structure and shape of ions. This is because it is difficult to experimentally observe changes in time and space of ions that move minutely at the level of several angstroms (1 billionth of a centimeter) in a split second of a few picoseconds (one trillionth of a second). In particular, it was more difficult to observe the dynamics of gas phase ions isolated from the surrounding system.
The researchers used ‘Mega Electron Volt Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (MeV-UED)’ equipment. Here, the ‘resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization technique’ was applied to generate specific ions in large quantities to the point where they could be observed in the experiment.
In this process, the unique behavior of ions, which are different from those of molecules in the neutral state, was also captured. In this study, we observed the creation and structural change process of cations derived from 1,3-dibromopropane (DBP, C3H6Br2), and found that cations were in ‘structural dark states’ in which no structural changes occurred after they were created. The phenomenon of retention was discovered for the first time.
The structural darkness lasted about 3.6 picoseconds. After about 15 picoseconds, the DBP cation was converted into an intermediate containing a loosely bound bromine (Br) atom, and after 77 picoseconds, the bromine atom was separated, ultimately forming bromonium ion ((C3H7Br)+).
Director Lee Hyo-cheol said, “This research has uncovered the hidden secrets of ions, which are common but have not been revealed. Although science and technology have made remarkable progress, there are still many wonderful secrets of the material world that we do not know and that scientists must unravel.” He explained.
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