Project description
Capturing electron behaviour at the fastest time scales to control molecular reactions
Electrons hold the key to understanding and controlling chemical reactions at their most fundamental level. The ERC-funded IDEAA project will focus on capturing electron dynamics within molecules with attosecond and angstrom precision, offering an unprecedented view of matter in motion. Researchers will leverage attosecond X-ray crystallography and interferometry to produce ‘molecular movies’ that should reveal how electrons alter bonding patterns and drive chemical transformations. These insights will help advance photochemistry, enabling reaction pathways previously inaccessible. The tremendous progress in X-ray free-electron lasers and tabletop sources will help IDEAA redefine molecular imaging and control, pushing the boundaries of observing and controlling matter at extreme time scales.
Objective
"IDEAA targets the synergistic creation of experimental and theoretical toolboxes, leveraging innovative attosecond time-resolved X-ray techniques, to capture electron dynamics within molecules with unprecedented ångström and attosecond resolution in space and time. Access to the electron time scale in molecules has opened tremendous new perspectives to direct chemistry through pathways otherwise not accessible by conventional chemistry, ultimately creating novel light harnessing approaches that enhance the efficiency of photochemical protocols. Despite strides in the understanding of how numerous electronic and vibronic interactions drive the responses of molecules, the precise control of reaction pathways remains elusive.
In our ambitious project, we will use attosecond X-ray crystallography and soft-X-ray attosecond interferometry to create ""molecular movies"" with electrons as the central actors. We pioneered the experimental investigation of charge migration—rapid electron density variations within molecules—that defy traditional chemical expectations by altering bonding patterns. Yet, challenges remain in spatially resolving the dynamics of valence electrons at an atomic scale. Tremendous progress at X-ray free-electron laser facilities have made attosecond X-ray pulse generation a reality. Our team leads in this arena, largely contributing to advancements in X-ray time-resolved techniques at the European XFEL and with table-top sources.
The pivotal developments of the IDEAA project combine attosecond science with atomic imaging, allowing unprecedented observation and control of chemical transformations. By combining three ground-breaking innovations in methodology and analysis, this project aspires to redefine photochemical reaction engineering, pushing the boundaries of observing and controlling the dynamics of matter at extreme time scales."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology mineralogy crystallography
- natural sciences chemical sciences physical chemistry photochemistry
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-SYG - HORIZON ERC Synergy Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-SyG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
38122 Trento
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.