Femtosecond Electron Diffraction Study of the Cyclization Reaction in Crystalline Diarylethene.

Femtosecond electron diffraction is used to directly resolve the atomic motions involved in the ring closing reaction induced in a photochromic single crystal. The measurements were performed using our newly developed setup capable of delivering sub-500 fs electron bunches containing 106 electrons per pulse. Theoretical calculations were also performed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]