Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Merten Lab

VCD in liquid rare gases: First paper on CryoVCD

The matrix-isolation technique allows us to study chiral molecules in frozen rare-gas matrices. This is advantages especially if reactive/instable species are to be examined. A thermodynamic equilibrium cannot be reached, tho. Therefore, we developed CryoVCD, a new technique that allows us to record VCD spectra of chiral molecules in liquid rare-gases as solvents. This requires low temperatures (-100°C for xenon) and elevated pressures (3-5 bar for Xe). We have faced the challenges of developing such system and show in our recent PCCP paper that it actually works!