Chemical physics and dynamics – Wernet group

We watch chemical reactions as they take place. X-ray lasers, synchrotrons, and lab sources with short X-ray pulses are our high-speed cameras. We use them to select which atomic site in a molecule we look at and which orbital we follow in real time of the reaction. We study small molecules, metal complexes and metalloproteins to discover basic principles that drive their transformations and that determine how they work.

We are working on three main topics:

1. Coupling of electronic, spin and nuclear coordinates in the photo-induced dynamics of molecules
2. Photochemical bond activation by metal complexes
3. Local chemistry of bond-activating metalloproteins

The foundation of our research is to find new ways of coupling experiments and theory in X-ray spectroscopy. We develop new experimental methods at large-scale X-ray facilities and at lab-based X-ray sources. We want to make available new observables and we work closely with theory groups in quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics to further extend the information content of X-ray spectroscopy.

Members of the group

Ambar Banerjee, Timo Dederichs, Raphael Jay, Victoria Kabanova, Fredrik Valgeborg, Robert Stefanuik, Philippe Wernet

Former members of the group (recent)

Hampus Wikmark (now at Proximion AB)