Abstract

The mechanisms governing the localization and solvation of excess electrons in liquids and glasses are one of the fundamental and still unsolved problems in the physics and chemistry of condensed phase. Laser photolysis of solute molecules and pulse radiolysis of polar fluids have been extensively used to generate excess electron and to investigate the initial steps leading to the long lifetime state of solvated electron. However, very little is known about the dynamics of electron solvation in liquid water. The best available measurement gives an upper limite of 0.3 ps for the appearance of solvated electron after a UV photolysis of an aqueous solution of ferrocyanure[1]. It has not been possible up to now to clearly demonstrate whether the infrared absorbing state, identified in alcools as a localized and a precursor of the fully relaxed solvated state[2], has its analog in pure liquid water.

© 1986 Optical Society of America