Photoinduced electron transfer reactions in molecular donor-acceptor systems involve charge transfer over extended distances. Our research on the elementary steps of photoinduced charge transfer in bimolecular electron transfer in donor-acceptor pairs has its foundations made in a larger set of activities on photo-induced elementary reactions followed with ultrafast infrared spectroscopy. Recent progress has been made at the MBI to construct a table-top high-order harmonic set-up producing ultrashort soft-x-ray pulses extending well into the water window spectral range. Combining these achievements with the progress made with liquid flatjet technology has opened a new frontier of soft-X-ray spectroscopy of donor-acceptor systems in solution phase using the table-top water window HHG approach. 

This activity will be pursued in close collaboration with Dr. Arnaud Rouzée (Project 2.1). An intense collaboration with in-house scientists involved in development of long-wavelength driver pulses (Project 1.2) will enable further improvement in photon flux and accessible spectral ranges towards the O K-edge and the 3d-metal L-edges, with which charge transport phenomena can be studied even more intensively. Third party funding comes from the Leibniz Gemeinschaft (SAW-2016-1, 2017-2020), an ERC Advanced Grant (XRayProton, Nibbering, 2018-2024), ITN Network Smart X, and the Leibniz Gemeinschaft (SAW-2023-1, 2024-2027).