Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41974682›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Tracking polar solvation dynamics of a photoexcited organic chromophore with ultrafast X-ray scattering.

Kerstin M Mitterer, Elli Selenius, Morten L Haubro, Magnus A H Christiansen, Verena Markmann, Bianca L Hansen, Mikkel Krell-Jørgensen, Joseph G F Hoock, Victor Lorentzen, Emma V Beale and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Kerstin M MittererDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. kmitt@dtu.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-6939-6277
Elli SeleniusScience Institute and Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Morten L HaubroDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3869-6405
Magnus A H ChristiansenScience Institute and Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Verena MarkmannDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
Bianca L HansenDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4279-780X
Mikkel Krell-JørgensenDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
Joseph G F HoockDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
Victor LorentzenDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
Emma V BealePaul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-734X
Philip J M JohnsonPaul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7251-4815
David J GosztolaCenter for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2674-1379
Claudio CirelliPaul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4576-3805
Camila BacellarPaul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2166-241X
Asmus O DohnDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5172-7168
Luca LaraiaDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6692-3412
Klaus B MøllerDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9797-7437
Kristoffer HaldrupDepartment of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0565-6397
Gianluca Levi *Science Institute and Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland. giale@hi.is.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-0653
Martin M Nielsen *Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. mmee@fysik.dtu.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8135-434X

Funding

Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation) NNF19OC0055818Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation) NNF19OC0058183Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation) NNF20OC0061740Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation) NNF21OC0067188
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Solvation plays a key role in many photochemical and biological processes. Yet, direct atomic-scale observation of solvent reorganization around photoexcited molecules containing only light atoms has so far remained elusive. Here, we use time-resolved X-ray scattering at an X-ray free-electron laser to track with a  ~ 120 fs time resolution the photoinduced ultrafast rearrangement of polar acetonitrile solvent molecules around an organic hemithioindigo chromophore. The experiments reveal that the solvation shell reorganizes with a  ~ 0.3 ps time constant driven by photoinduced charge transfer in the chromophore, and then reequilibrates over  ~ 3 ps as the excited state population returns to the ground state. These results demonstrate the viability of using ultrashort X-ray pulses to directly visualize the motion of light atoms in solution, paving the way for atomic-scale understanding and control of photoinduced processes in biological and synthetic photoactive organic molecules.

Identifiers

PMID41974682
PMCPMC13247046

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.