2.1.4.

1: Flash Photolysis
In 1967 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Manfred Eigen, Ronald George, George Porter and Wreyford Norrish
for their co-discovery of Flash Photolysis in 1949. Flash Photolysis is used extensively to study reactions that happen
extremely quickly, even down to the femtosecond depending on the laser that is used. The technique was born out of cameras
developed during and shortly after WWII, which were used to take pictures of fast moving planes, rockets, and missiles. Since
then the technology of lasers and optics has progressed allowing faster and faster reactions to be studied.
Flash Photolysis is often used to study reactions that are light dependent such as photosynthesis and reactions in the cones on
the retina of the our eye, but the meathod can also be applied to other reactions. The light in the form of a laser excites a
molecule into a reactive state, usually in the form of a free radical. From there it is possible to measure the reaction
spectroscopically, using the exitory flash as a light source to measure absorbance. The laser pulse must be aproximatly half the
length of the reaction, and of sufficient energy to induce the reaction to take place. Further the flash must cover the spectrum
of frequencies which are being studied because not only is the flash producing intermediates of the reaction that are usually not
observed, it is also producing the source for spectroscopic analysis. Intermediates of most reactions are rarely observed, this
techniques isolates even low concentrations of otherwise unobservable portions of reactions allowing research into synthetic,
biochemical, and photo-sensitive reactions.

References
1. Porter,G. Flash Photolysis and Spectroscopy. A New Method for the Study of Free Radical Reactions. Proceedings of the
Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Vol. 200, No. 1061. (Jan. 6, 1950), pp. 284-300.|
external link:links.jstor.org/sici?sici=008...3E2.0.CO%3B2-O

2. 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry| external link:http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/c...aureates/1967/

Contributors and Attributions

Aaron Whiteley

2.1.4.1.1 9/9/2021 https://chem.libretexts.org/@go/page/1429