Intramolecular soft modes and intermolecular interactions in liquid acetone

• Published in: Physical Review B Vol. 84; no. 13; p. 132202
• Main Authors: Sun, Y.-P., Hennies, F., Pietzsch, A., Kennedy, B., Schmitt, T., Strocov, V. N., Andersson, J., Berglund, M., Rubensson, J.-E., Aidas, K., Gel'mukhanov, F., Odelius, M., Föhlisch, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese; English
• Published: American Physical Society (APS) 2011; American Physical Society
• Subjects: Condensed Matter Physics; Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials; Fysik; Natural Sciences; Naturvetenskap; Physical Sciences; Physics
• ISSN: 1098-0121; 1550-235X; 1095-3795; 0163-1829; 1538-4489; 1550-235X
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.84.132202

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra excited at the O1s(-1)pi* resonance of liquid acetone are presented. Scattering to the electronic ground state shows a resolved vibrational progression where the dominant contribution is due to the C-O stretching mode, thus demonstrating a unique sensitivity of the method to the local potential energy surface in complex molecular systems. For scattering to electronically excited states, soft vibrational modes and, to a smaller extent, intermolecular interactions give a broadening, which blurs the vibrational fine structure. It is predicted that environmental broadening is dominant in aqueous acetone.