Controlled Molecule Imaging
Unraveling the Structure‑Function Relationship in the Molecular Sciences
We develop innovative methods to obtain full control over large molecules and nanoparticles. These methods and the created controlled samples are exploited in fundamental physics and chemistry studies to unravel the underlying mechanisms of chemistry and biology by watching molecules at work.
Highlights
Using corkscrew lasers to separate mirror molecules
10 December 2019
Innovative approach could deepen insight into the mysterious handedness of life
Scientists film molecular rotation
29 July 2019
Scientists have used precisely tuned pulses of laser light to film the ultrafast rotation of a molecule. The resulting “molecular movie” tracks one and a half revolutions of carbonyl sulphide (OCS) – a rod-shaped molecule consisting of one oxygen, one carbon and one sulphur atom – taking place within 125 trillionths of a second, at a high temporal and spatial resolution. The team headed by DESY’s Jochen Küpper from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) and Arnaud Rouzée from the Max Born Institute in Berlin are presenting their findings in the journal Nature Communications. CFEL is a cooperation of DESY, the Max Planck Society and Universität Hamburg.
Cherry picking molecules from the soup: Spatial separation of pyrrole and pyrrole-water clusters
29 January 2019
We demonstrated the spatial separation of pyrrole-water1 clusters with practically 100 % purity from the other atomic and molecular species in a supersonically-expanded beam of pyrrole and traces of water seeded in high-pressure helium gas.