Electron attachment to microhydrated 4-nitro- and 4-bromo-thiophenol.

We investigate the effect of microhydration on electron attachment to thiophenols with halogen (Br) and nitro (NO) functional groups in the para position. We focus on the formation of anions upon the attachment of low-energy electrons with energies below 8 eV to heterogeneous clusters of the thiophenols with water. For nitro-thiophenol (NTP), the primary reaction channel observed is the associative electron attachment, irrespective of the microhydration.

Vibrationally Mediated Stabilization of Electrons in Nonpolar Matter.

We explore solvation of electrons in nonpolar matter, here represented by butadiene clusters. Isolated butadiene supports only the existence of transient anions (resonances). Two-dimensional electron energy loss spectroscopy shows that the resonances lead to an efficient vibrational excitation of butadiene, which can result into the almost complete loss of energy of the interacting electron.

Real-time observation of water radiolysis and hydrated electron formation induced by extreme-ultraviolet pulses.

The dominant pathway of radiation damage begins with the ionization of water. Thus far, however, the underlying primary processes could not be conclusively elucidated. Here, we directly study the earliest steps of extreme ultraviolet (XUV)-induced water radiolysis through one-photon excitation of large water clusters using time-resolved photoelectron imaging.

Communication: Charge transfer dominates over proton transfer in the reaction of nitric acid with gas-phase hydrated electrons.

The reaction of HNO with hydrated electrons (HO) (n = 35-65) in the gas phase was studied using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Kinetic analysis of the experimental data shows that OH(HO) is formed primarily via a reaction of the hydrated electron with HNO inside the cluster, while proton transfer is not observed and NO(HO) is just a secondary product. The reaction enthalpy was determined using nanocalorimetry, revealing a quite exothermic charge transfer with -241 ± 69 kJ mol.

Revealing isomerism in sodium-water clusters: Photoionization spectra of Na(HO) (n = 2-90).

Soft ionization of sodium tagged polar clusters is increasingly used as a powerful technique for sizing and characterization of small aerosols with possible application, e.g., in atmospheric chemistry or combustion science.

Reactivity of Hydrated Electron in Finite Size System: Sodium Pickup on Mixed N2O-Water Nanoparticles.

We investigate the reactivity of hydrated electron generated by alkali metal deposition on small water particles with nitrous oxide dopant by means of mass spectrometry and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The mixed nitrous oxide/water clusters were generated in a molecular beam and doped with Na atoms in a pickup experiment, and investigated by mass spectrometry using two different ionization schemes: an electron ionization (EI), and UV photoionization after the Na doping (NaPI). The NaPI is a soft-ionization nondestructive method, especially for water clusters provided that a hydrated electron es– is formed in the cluster.