Structural tracking of a bimolecular reaction in solution by time-resolved X-ray scattering.

Molecular movies: Time-resolved X-ray scattering provides direct structural information on an electronically excited complex while it is formed in the bimolecular reaction between excited octahydrogen[tetrakis-mu-diphosphito-1kappaP:2kappaP'-diplatinate](4-) (PtPOP*) and thallium ions. In the exciplex one thallium(I) and two platinum(II) ions are found to be collinear.