Time-resolved study of the oxidation of ethanol by cerium(IV) using combined quick-XANES, UV-vis, and Raman spectroscopies.

Time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Quick-XANES) has been combined with UV-vis and Raman spectroscopies to study the in situ reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+ in ethanolic solution with a time resolution of ca. 4-5 s. For this purpose, a cam-driven oscillating double-crystal monochromator with a channel-cut crystal was combined with two spectrometers for UV-vis and Raman spectroscopies in a specialized cell which allows one to fit the optical pathways for all three spectroscopies individually. The results show that high-quality results can be obtained simultaneously, thus giving a detailed insight into the mechanisms of the investigated chemical reaction. The continuous release of nitrate and ethanol ligands from the initial Ce4+ into the solution finally leads to a trivalent cerium species which is only coordinated with water molecules after about 1800 s of reaction time.