Spectroscopy and Dynamics in Liquid Microjets

Synopsis:

Solvated electrons play an important role in radiation chemistry and biology; when formed by ionizing radiation they are highly reactive and often lead to irreversible cell damage. Furthermore, as the simplest quantum solute, solvated electrons serve as the benchmark for our understanding of basic solute-solvent phenomena. From these perspectives, it is important that we advance our understanding of the binding motifs and dynamics of solvated electrons in water. To this end, we have undertaken a new series of studies to perform photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) on solvated electrons in liquid microjets.

Our new project seeks to bridge the gap between the extensive work done on the vertical binding energy (VBE) of solvated electrons in water clusters and the bulk value which has never been measured directly. The dynamics of solvated electrons have also been thoroughly studied in clusters with time-resolved PES and in the bulk with transient absorption studies. However, these results are still open to multiple interpretations.

Using a new liquid-jet/PES setup, we will make the first direct measurement of the VBE of solvated electrons in bulk water and various solvents. We will follow up with a time-resolved PES study to probe the dynamics of these species.

Molecules studied:

Solvated electrons in water, methanol, etc.

Ionic liquids

Project members:

Terry Yen

Alex Shreve

Recent publications: