Capillary Mössbauer spectroscopy for solution chemistry

Abstract

Mössbauer spectroscopy is highly sensitive to changes in the electric field gradient and electronic density around atomic nuclei, but cannot be used to study the electronic species of compounds in solutions because the necessary recoilless γ-ray resonance absorption has so far only been achieved in solids. We recently suggested¹ the use of a Corning Vycor porous (‘thirsty’) glass^2,3 carrier for the Mössbauer study of liquids. Here we show that the Mössbauer effect can be achieved in liquid samples trapped in the pores of this glass carrier, providing a new technique which may be a useful tool in solution chemistry.