Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Reaction dynamics

The view from a transition state

Ejecting electrons from negative ions using light can create structures that very closely resemble the transition states of bimolecular reactions. Now, using this technique, trapped quantum states, or 'resonances', have been observed in a seven-atom reaction, and theory has been shown to be up to the task of capturing such complex phenomena.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Feshbach resonances in the F + CH3OH → HF + CH3O reaction.

References

  1. Metz, R., Kitsopoulos, T., Weaver, A. & Neumark, D. J. Chem. Phys. 88, 1463–1465 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Weichman, L. M. et al. Nat. Chem. 9, 950–955 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim, J. B. et al. Science 349, 510–513 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zhang, D. H. & Guo, H. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 67, 135–158 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Otto, R. et al. Science 343, 396–399 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert E. Continetti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Continetti, R. The view from a transition state. Nature Chem 9, 931–932 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2868

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2868

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing