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Ultrafast x-ray scattering of photodissociation dynamics in 2-iodothiophene

Ultrafast x-ray scattering of photodissociation dynamics in 2-iodothiophene
Ultrafast x-ray scattering of photodissociation dynamics in 2-iodothiophene
A time-resolved x-ray scattering (TRXS) investigation of the photodissociation dynamics of gas-phase 2-iodothiophene molecules following 252 nm excitation is presented. Structural evolution of the molecule and dynamical information on the resulting photofragments were captured using femtosecond x-ray free-electron laser pulses. Two dissociation pathways were identified, arising via excitation to ππ* and (n/π)σ* states, respectively, yielding distinct interfragment recoil velocities of ∼6.4 A ps -1 and 17.0 A ps-1. A comparison of asymptotic scattering data with simulated patterns indicates that the thiophene ring remains closed following dissociation at this wavelength. Modeling the experimental data yields a branching ratio of ∼3:1 in favor of the high velocity channel. These findings demonstrate the capability of TRXS to disentangle concurrent ultrafast reaction pathways and provide detailed structural insight into energy redistribution during photoinduced bond fission in complex molecular systems.
Chemical bonding, Gas phase, Photoexcitations, Potential energy surfaces, Ultrafast X-rays, chemical physics, energy conservation, photodissociation, x-ray scattering
0021-9606
Razmus, Weronika O.
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Gabalski, Ian
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Allum, Felix
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Abma, Grite L.
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Britton, Mathew
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Boutet, Sebastien
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Bucksbaum, Philip H
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Cheng, Xinxin
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Crane, Stuart W.
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Gate, Gregory
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Ghrist, Aaron
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Graßl, Martin
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Green, Alice E.
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Goff, Nathan
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Horke, Daniel A.
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Huang, Lisa
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Liang, Mengning
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Liu, Yusong
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Ma, Lingyu
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Minitti, Michael P.
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Northey, Thomas
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Odate, Asami
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Robinson, Joseph
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Weber, Peter M.
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Wolf, Thomas
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Curchod, Basile F.E.
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Ashfold, Michael N.R.
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Minns, Russell
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Forbes, Ruaridh
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et al.
Razmus, Weronika O.
33898418-324e-4351-b5f3-c2fe2b6eff96
Gabalski, Ian
c750a1d5-ed9e-4346-b664-197f527d2ea8
Allum, Felix
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Abma, Grite L.
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Britton, Mathew
d2e07b12-3a08-4d90-97c8-9e7b89040650
Boutet, Sebastien
963e0b0f-0538-4620-ba4c-b32a2b3800b3
Bucksbaum, Philip H
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Cheng, Xinxin
456366c5-6b50-48e6-80cb-19d0774e67a3
Crane, Stuart W.
5f0d3477-331b-4f33-b8c4-cdfb60f9a9da
Gate, Gregory
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Ghrist, Aaron
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Graßl, Martin
ca401731-02b2-4f17-9c2d-29973fb2615e
Green, Alice E.
f4023188-5756-4dab-8007-76fe0f6e15f2
Goff, Nathan
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Horke, Daniel A.
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Huang, Lisa
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Liang, Mengning
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Liu, Yusong
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Ma, Lingyu
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Minitti, Michael P.
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Northey, Thomas
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Odate, Asami
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Robinson, Joseph
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Weber, Peter M.
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Wolf, Thomas
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Curchod, Basile F.E.
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Ashfold, Michael N.R.
86828168-5b64-44ec-9b6c-c47c8bdf6ce2
Minns, Russell
85280db4-c5a6-4a4c-82fe-75693c6a6045
Forbes, Ruaridh
46a98728-df5f-47b3-95c5-be831d865429

Razmus, Weronika O., Gabalski, Ian and Allum, Felix , et al. (2026) Ultrafast x-ray scattering of photodissociation dynamics in 2-iodothiophene. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 164 (2), [024308]. (doi:10.1063/5.0299432).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A time-resolved x-ray scattering (TRXS) investigation of the photodissociation dynamics of gas-phase 2-iodothiophene molecules following 252 nm excitation is presented. Structural evolution of the molecule and dynamical information on the resulting photofragments were captured using femtosecond x-ray free-electron laser pulses. Two dissociation pathways were identified, arising via excitation to ππ* and (n/π)σ* states, respectively, yielding distinct interfragment recoil velocities of ∼6.4 A ps -1 and 17.0 A ps-1. A comparison of asymptotic scattering data with simulated patterns indicates that the thiophene ring remains closed following dissociation at this wavelength. Modeling the experimental data yields a branching ratio of ∼3:1 in favor of the high velocity channel. These findings demonstrate the capability of TRXS to disentangle concurrent ultrafast reaction pathways and provide detailed structural insight into energy redistribution during photoinduced bond fission in complex molecular systems.

Text
JCP25-AR-EISC2025-03305 - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 23 December 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 9 January 2026
Published date: 14 January 2026
Keywords: Chemical bonding, Gas phase, Photoexcitations, Potential energy surfaces, Ultrafast X-rays, chemical physics, energy conservation, photodissociation, x-ray scattering

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 509508
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/509508
ISSN: 0021-9606
PURE UUID: e81c1364-7bac-43f5-a6c5-727e38fdff51
ORCID for Russell Minns: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6775-2977

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 24 Feb 2026 17:52
Last modified: 07 Mar 2026 03:18

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Contributors

Author: Weronika O. Razmus
Author: Ian Gabalski
Author: Felix Allum
Author: Grite L. Abma
Author: Mathew Britton
Author: Sebastien Boutet
Author: Philip H Bucksbaum
Author: Xinxin Cheng
Author: Stuart W. Crane
Author: Gregory Gate
Author: Aaron Ghrist
Author: Martin Graßl
Author: Alice E. Green
Author: Nathan Goff
Author: Daniel A. Horke
Author: Lisa Huang
Author: Mengning Liang
Author: Yusong Liu
Author: Lingyu Ma
Author: Michael P. Minitti
Author: Thomas Northey
Author: Asami Odate
Author: Joseph Robinson
Author: Peter M. Weber
Author: Thomas Wolf
Author: Basile F.E. Curchod
Author: Michael N.R. Ashfold
Author: Russell Minns ORCID iD
Author: Ruaridh Forbes
Corporate Author: et al.

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