Watching the Birth & Death of Chemical Bonds with Pulsed Neutrons: The Case of Nitric Oxide

The primary aim of this proposal is to explore new ways for neutrons to probe the creation & disruption of chemical bonds in condensed matter. The system of choice for this programme of work is nitric oxide across its solid and liquid phases, given its ability to dimerise by electron-spin-pairing mechanisms in a controllable and well-defined manner as a function of pressure and temperature. In addition to these drivers, these experiments will also address a number of pending questions, including changes to chemical bonding and structure in both the liquid and solid relative to the isolated molecule. We anticipate that the lessons learnt from this work will find immediate application to the study of more complex systems of practical interest, given the relevance and importance of this diatomic system as a chemical intermediate in environmental and industrial processes.