Pulse radiolysis

Pulse Radiolysis is a powerful experimental technique used in the study of chemical kinetics, radiation chemistry, and photochemistry. It involves the use of short pulses of high-energy radiation to initiate chemical reactions, and the subsequent observation of the transient species produced.

History

The technique of pulse radiolysis was first developed in the 1960s by Werner Braun and Samuel M. McKeown at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States. It was initially used to study the kinetics of free radical reactions in solution.

Methodology

In pulse radiolysis, a short pulse of high-energy radiation, typically from an electron accelerator, is used to ionize the molecules in a sample. This ionization produces a variety of transient species, including free radicals, ions, and excited states. These species can then be observed using various spectroscopic techniques, such as absorption spectroscopy or emission spectroscopy, to study their behavior and reactions.

Applications

Pulse radiolysis has been used in a wide range of scientific fields, including chemistry, biology, and materials science. It has been particularly useful in the study of fast chemical reactions, where it can provide information on reaction rates and mechanisms that is difficult to obtain by other methods. In addition, it has been used to study the effects of radiation on biological systems, such as DNA damage and repair, and the properties of novel materials, such as semiconductors and nanomaterials.

See Also

• Flash photolysis
• Time-resolved spectroscopy
• Radiation chemistry
• Photochemistry