Photoion-pair dissociation dynamics of polyatomic molecules with synchrotron radiation

Positive-negative photoion pairs can be formed in the photoexcitation of molecules in the broad energy range from vacuum ultraviolet to soft X-ray. Synchrotron radiation is the most suitable photon source and state-of-the-art mass spectrometry techniques have been successfully applied in the experimental studies of such ion-pair photodissociation dynamics. This perspective will briefly review the recent progress on this topic and provide a general description of the mechanisms of ion-pair photodissociation dynamics of polyatomic molecules. Challenges in the understanding of ion-pair photodissociation in the higher photon energy range are also discussed.