Hamburg Photon Science Colloquium | Ultrafast photoacid-base reactions in aqueous solutions

by Erik T. Nibbering (Max Born Institute Berlin, Germany)

Friday 16 Jan 2026, 14:00 → 15:30 Europe/Berlin

SemR I-III (CFEL, Bldg. 99)

We investigate photoacid-base proton exchange reaction dynamics in aqueous solution on ultrafast time scales with UV-IR and UV/soft-X-ray pump-probe spectroscopy. Using these novel spectroscopic methods we reveal remarkable aspects of the electronic structural dynamics of the proton donating photoacid, the accepting base, and on the nature of the hydrated proton while it resides on water, pointing us to the microscopic mechanisms of these elementary chemical reactions.

Coffee, tea and cake will be served at 1:45 pm.