2024-01-13 10:27:21
Graph showing the instantaneous structural dark state of an ion. (Source = Institute for Basic Science)
[애플경제 이보영 기자] It was discovered that ions form products through previously unknown steps, including a structural dark state. The research team, led by Hyocheol Lee (professor of chemistry at KAIST) of the Advanced Reaction Dynamics Research Group at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), said, “We discovered this fact by observing in real time the process of the creation and change of gaseous ions.”
Ions play an important role in everything from real life to outer space. Everything from the lithium-ion battery in a smartphone to the energy we eat when absorbed, the light and energy coming from the sun, etc. 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.
In previous research, research teams including Director Lee Hyo-cheol have already observed at the atomic level the moment when a molecular bond is broken, the moment a molecule is created through a chemical bond, and the molecular structure of the entire process from the beginning to the end of a chemical reaction.
The research team said, “At the time, the research was conducted using “-UED)1)’ equipment was used,” he said.
In addition, ‘resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization technique2)’ was applied here to generate large quantities of specific ions to the extent that they might be observed in experiments.
In this process, the unique behavior of ions, which are different from those of molecules in a neutral state, was also captured. In this study, we observed the production and structural change process of cations derived from 1,3-dibromopropane (DBP, C3H6Br2). As a result, for the first time, the phenomenon of positive ions remaining in ‘structural dark states’ in which no structural changes occur following being created was discovered. According to this, the state of structural darkness lasted for regarding 3.6 picoseconds. After regarding 15 picoseconds, the DBP cation was converted into an intermediate containing a loosely bound bromine (Br) atom, and following 77 picoseconds, the bromine atom was separated and finally formed a bromonium ion ((C3H7Br)+).
“This study is significant as the first to track the structural dynamics of molecular ions in real time,” said first author Heo Jun, an invited research fellow. “As it has expanded our understanding of gas ions, it has expanded our understanding of chemical reaction mechanisms and changes in material properties. “It is expected to provide new insights in various fields such as space chemistry and space chemistry.”
Student researcher Kim Do-young, the first author, said, “Ions are highly reactive and do not exist for a long time, and it is difficult to selectively synthesize only one type, making it difficult to observe structural changes in real time.” He added, “The generated gas ions do not directly indicate structural changes. “We found that it maintains a specific shape and then shows rapid changes,” he explained.
Director Lee Hyo-cheol, who led the research, 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 amazing secrets of the material world that we do not know and that scientists must unravel.” “There are a lot of them,” he said.
The research results were published on the 11th at 01:00 (Korean time) in the online edition of Nature (IF 64.8), the most authoritative international academic journal.
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