Mössbauer Spectroscopy
Source: Joshua Wofford, Tamara M. Powers, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University
Mössbauer spectroscopy is a bulk characterization technique that examines the nuclear excitation of an atom by gamma rays in the solid state. The resulting Mössbauer spectrum provides information about the oxidation state, spin state, and electronic environment around the target atom, which, in combination, gives evidence about the electronic structure and ligand arrangement (geometry) of the molecule. In this video, we will learn about the basic principles of Mössbauer spectroscopy and collect a zero field 57Fe Mössbauer spectrum of ferrocene.
1. Preparation of the Sample
- Weigh 100 mg of ferrocene in a delrine Mössbauer cup.
- Add several drops of paratone oil to the sample. Using a spatula, mix the sample and the oil into a uniform paste.
- Freeze the sample in liquid nitrogen.
2. Mounting the Sample
- Fill the sample chamber with He gas.
- Unscrew the sample rod from the instrument and remove the sample rod.
- While mounting the sample, close the sample chamber with
Zero field 57Fe Mössbauer of ferrocene at 5 K.
δ = 0.54 mm/s
ΔEQ = 2.4 mm/s
Referring to Table 1, we see that the isomer shift at 0.54 mm/s falls into several possible oxidation state/spin state ranges (
Here, we learned about the basic principles of Mössbauer spectroscopy, including details on the experimental setup, the gamma ray source, and the information that can be gathered from a Mössbauer spectrum. We collected the zero field 57Fe Mössbauer spectrum of ferrocene.
Mössbauer spectroscopy is a powerful technique that provides information about the electronic field gradient around an atom. While there are numerous Mössbauer active atoms, only elements wi
- Fultz, B. “Mössbauer Spectrometry”, in Characterization of Materials. John Wiley. New York. (2011).
- Pandelia, M.-E., Lanz, N., Booker, S., Krebs, C. Mössbauer spectroscopy of Fe/S proteins Biochim Biophys Acta. 1853, 1395–1405 (2015).
Skip to...
Videos from this collection:
Now Playing
Mössbauer Spectroscopy
Inorganic Chemistry
21.7K Views
Synthesis Of A Ti(III) Metallocene Using Schlenk Line Technique
Inorganic Chemistry
30.7K Views
Glovebox and Impurity Sensors
Inorganic Chemistry
18.3K Views
Purification of Ferrocene by Sublimation
Inorganic Chemistry
53.4K Views
The Evans Method
Inorganic Chemistry
65.7K Views
Single Crystal and Powder X-ray Diffraction
Inorganic Chemistry
101.2K Views
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectroscopy
Inorganic Chemistry
25.0K Views
Lewis Acid-Base Interaction in Ph<sub>3</sub>P-BH<sub>3</sub>
Inorganic Chemistry
37.6K Views
Structure Of Ferrocene
Inorganic Chemistry
77.7K Views
Application of Group Theory to IR Spectroscopy
Inorganic Chemistry
44.1K Views
Molecular Orbital (MO) Theory
Inorganic Chemistry
34.4K Views
Quadruply Metal-Metal Bonded Paddlewheels
Inorganic Chemistry
14.8K Views
Dye-sensitized Solar Cells
Inorganic Chemistry
15.1K Views
Synthesis of an Oxygen-Carrying Cobalt(II) Complex
Inorganic Chemistry
50.0K Views
Photochemical Initiation Of Radical Polymerization Reactions
Inorganic Chemistry
16.5K Views
ABOUT JoVE
Copyright © 2025 MyJoVE Corporation. All rights reserved