Finding the source of chemical reactions
Monday, February 3, 2020 - 17:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists are constantly searching for the source of things like the origin of the universe, matter or life. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, in a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and several other universities, have demonstrated a way to experimentally detect the most hidden aspect of all chemical reactions—the extremely short-lived transition state that occurs at their initiation. This pivotal discovery could become instrumental in gaining the ability to predict and externally control the outcomes of chemical processes.