Description
Light–matter interactions govern a vast range of fundamental processes in nature. Following the absorption of light, molecular systems undergo a cascade of ultrafast electronic and nuclear dynamics that evolve within a complex environment. Capturing and understanding these transient processes at the molecular level remains one of the major challenges in modern science, owing to the extremely short timescales involved and the strong coupling between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom.[1]
In this talk, I will present recent experimental advances that exploit soft X-ray spectroscopies to investigate chemical dynamics in their native environment: the liquid phase. Through its combined element-, site-, and orbital-specificity, X-ray spectroscopy provides insight into occupied and unoccupied electronic states, enabling direct observation of transient electronic couplings, solvation effects, and nonequilibrium dynamics with high sensitivity.[2,3]
The presented work combines tabletop “water-window” high-harmonic photon sources and novel experimental endstations at large-scale light-source facilities, including synchrotrons and free-electron lasers (FELs).[4-7] These developments provide exceptional temporal and spectral resolution and have significantly expanded the capabilities of soft X-ray spectroscopy, enabling access to phenomena that were previously beyond experimental reach.[8-11]
References
[1] J.R. Dwyer, et al. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A, 364, 741–778.[2] T. Fransson et al. Chem. Rev. 116, 7551 (2016) [3] J.W. Smith et al. Chem. Rev.117,13909 (2017) [4] A.R. Attar et al, Science 356, 54
(2017) [5] S.M. Teichmann et al, Nat. Comm. 7, 11493 (2016) [6] J. Schlappa et al. JSR 32, 29 (2025) [7] M. Agåker et al. JSR 32, 1328 (2025) [8] Z. Yin et al Nature, 619, 749 (2023) [9] Y.P. Chang et al Nature Physics,21, 137 (2025) [10] Z. Yin et al. JACS 147, 9190 (2025) [11]J. Söderström et al. Nat. Comm. 16, 10046 (2025)
