Effect of the solvation state of electron in dissociative electron attachment reaction in aqueous solutions.

It is generally considered that the pre-solvated electron and the solvated electron reacting with a solute yield the same product. Silver cyanide complex, Ag(CN)2-, is used as a simple probe to demonstrate unambiguously the existence of a different reduction mechanism for pre-hydrated electrons. Using systematic multichannel transient absorption measurements at different solute concentrations from millimolar to decimolar, global data analysis and theoretical calculations, we present the dissociative electron attachment on Ag(CN)2-. The short-lived silver complex, Ag0(CN)22-, formed by hydrated electron with nanosecond pulse radiolysis, can be observed at room temperature. However, at higher temperatures only the free silver atom, Ag0, is detected, suggesting that Ag0(CN)22- dissociation is fast. Surprisingly, pulse radiolysis measurements on Ag(CN)2- reduction, performed by a 7 ps electron pulse at room temperature, show clearly that a new reduced form of silver complex, AgCN-, is produced within the pulse. This species, absorbing at 560 nm, is not formed by the hydrated electron but exclusively by its precursor. DFT calculations show that the different reactivity of the hydrated and pre-hydrated electrons can be due to the formation of different electronic states of Ag0(CN)22-: the prehydrated electron can form an excited state of this complex, which mainly dissociates into Ag0CN- + CN-.

Picosecond pulse radiolysis of the liquid diethyl carbonate.

The diethyl carbonate, DEC, is an ester that is used as a solvent in Li-ion batteries, but its behavior under ionizing radiation was unknown. The transient optical absorption spectra, the decay kinetics, and the influence of various scavengers have been studied by using the picosecond laser-triggered electron accelerator ELYSE. In neat DEC, the intense near-IR (NIR) absorption spectrum is assigned to the solvated electron. It is overlapped in the visible range by another transient but longer-lived and less intense band that is assigned to the oxidized radical DEC(-H). The solvated electron molar absorption coefficients and radiolytic yield evolution from 25 ps, the geminate recombination kinetics, and the rate constants of electron transfer reactions to scavengers are determined. The radiolytic mechanism, indicating a certain radioresistance of DEC, is compared with that for other solvents.

Spur reactions observed by picosecond pulse radiolysis in highly concentrated bromide aqueous solutions.

The formation of the well-known product Br3(-), observed in the steady-state radiolysis of highly concentrated Br(-) aqueous solutions, has now been directly observed at ultrashort times corresponding to the relaxation of the spur. The transient absorption induced by picosecond pulse radiolysis of 6 M Br(-) aqueous solution was probed simultaneously at 260 nm with the third harmonic laser wave and from 350 to 750 nm with a supercontinuum generated by the fundamental laser wave. This approach allows several transient radiolytic species to be followed in parallel, particularly the solvated electron, BrOH(-•), Br2(-•), and Br3(-). The kinetics measured within 4 ns at 260 and 370 nm clearly exhibit that the decay of Br2(•-) is correlated with the formation of Br3(-). In highly concentrated Br(-) solutions, the OH(•) radical is fully replaced by Br2(•-), and the spur kinetics of OH(•) radical in pure water is comparable with that of Br2(-•). Model calculations indicate that the main OH(•) radical combination product H2O2 in pure water has formation kinetics similar to that of Br3(-) in 6 M Br(-) solutions. Moreover, they point out that oxidation of Br(-) occurs within the electron pulse both by direct energy absorption and by scavenging of the water radical cation, H2O(•+).

Picosecond pulse radiolysis study on the distance dependent reaction of the solvated electron with organic molecules in ethylene glycol.

The decay of solvated electron e(s)(-) is observed by nanosecond and picosecond pulsed radiolysis, in diluted and highly concentrated solutions of dichloromethane, CH(2)Cl(2), trichloromethane, CHCl(3), tribromomethane, CHBr(3), acetone, CH(3)COCH(3), and nitromethane, CH(3)NO(2), prepared in ethylene glycol. First, second-order rate constants for the reactions between e(-)(s) and the organic scavengers have been determined. The ratio between the highest rate constant that was found for CH(3)NO(2) and the lowest one that was found for acetone is 3. This difference in reactivity cannot be explained by the change of viscosity or the size of the molecules. Then, from the analysis of decay kinetics obtained using ultrafast pulse-probe method, the distance dependent first-order rate constant of electron transfer for each scavenger has been determined. The amplitude of the transient effect observed on the picosecond time scale differs strongly between these solvated electron scavengers. For an identical scavenger concentration, the transient effect lasts ≈650 ps for CH(3)NO(2) compared to ~200 ps for acetone. For acetone, the distance dependent first-order rate constant of electron transfer is decreasing very rapidly with increasing distance, whereas for nitromethane and tribromomethane the rate constant is decreasing gradually with the distance and its value remains non-negligible even at ~10 Å. This rate constant is controlled mostly by the free energy of the reaction. For nitromethane and tribromomethane, the driving force is great, and the reaction can occur even at long distance, whereas for acetone the driving force is small and the reaction occurs almost at the contact distance. For nitromethane and acetone, the one-electron reduction reaction needs less internal reorganization energy than for alkyl halide compounds for which the reaction occurs in concert with bond breaking and geometric adjustment.

Competition reactions of H2O•+ radical in concentrated Cl- aqueous solutions: picosecond pulse radiolysis study.

Picosecond pulse-probe radiolysis measurements of highly concentrated Cl(-) aqueous solutions are used to probe the oxidation mechanism of the Cl(-). The transient absorption spectra are measured from 340 to 710 nm in the picosecond range for the ultrafast electron pulse radiolysis of halide solutions at different concentrations up to 8 M. The amount of Cl(2)(•-) formation within the electron pulse increases notably with increasing Cl(-) concentration. Kinetic measurements reveal that the direct ionization of Cl(-) cannot solely explain the significant amount of fast Cl(2)(•-) formation within the electron pulse. The results suggest that Cl(-) reacts with the precursor of the OH(•) radical, i.e., H(2)O(•+) radical, to form Cl(•) atom within the electron pulse and the Cl(•) atom reacts subsequently with Cl(-) to form Cl(2)(•-) on very short time scales. The proton transfer reaction between H(2)O(•+) and the water molecule competes with the electron transfer reaction between Cl(-) and H(2)O(•+). Molecular dynamics simulations show that number of water molecules in close proximity decreases with increasing concentration of the salt (NaCl), confirming that for highly concentrated solutions the proton transfer reaction between H(2)O(•+) and a water molecule becomes less efficient. Diffusion-kinetic simulations of spur reactions including the direct ionization of Cl(-) and hole scavenging by Cl(-) show that up to 30% of the H(2)O(•+) produced by the irradiation could be scavenged for solutions containing 5.5 M Cl(-). This process decreases the yield of OH(•) radical in solution on the picosecond time scale. The experimental results for the same concentration of Cl(-) at a given absorbed dose show that the radiation energy absorbed by counterions is transferred to Cl(-) or water molecules and the effect of the countercation such as Li(+), K(+), Na(+), and Mg(2+) on the oxidation yield of Cl(-) is negligible.

Picosecond pulse radiolysis study of highly concentrated nitric acid solutions: formation mechanism of NO3• radical.

The formation of nitrate radical, NO(3)(•), is observed for the first time directly by picosecond pulse radiolysis of highly concentrated nitric acid solutions. The experimental yield of NO(3)(-) ionization is deduced from the pulse-probe transient absorption measurements in the visible region where this radical absorbs. On the basis of the value of the extinction coefficient of nitrate radical at 640 nm equal to 1300 M cm(-1), the experimental yield of NO(3)(•) at 20 ps is found to be around 0.36 × 10(-7), 1.33 × 10(-7), and 2.85 × 10(-7) mol J(-1) for 1, 3.5, and 7 M nitric acid solutions, respectively. Relative to the dose absorbed by nitric acid by the direct effect, we find an unexpected high formation yield of the nitrate radical within the electron pulse. Therefore, we suggest that the trapping of the positive hole, H(2)O(•+), by NO(3)(-) also contributes to the formation of NO(3)(•) within the electron pulse. Moreover, after the pulse and within 4 ns, the beginning of the reaction of OH(•) radical with undissociated nitric acid is observed for the most concentrated nitric acid solution.

Time-dependent radiolytic yield of OH• radical studied by picosecond pulse radiolysis.

Picosecond pulse radiolysis measurements using a pulse-probe method are performed to measure directly the time-dependent radiolytic yield of the OH(•) radical in pure water. The time-dependent absorbance of OH(•) radical at 263 nm is deduced from the observed signal by subtracting the contribution of the hydrated electron and that of the irradiated empty fused silica cell which presents also a transient absoption. The time-dependent radiolytic yield of OH(•) is obtained by assuming the yield of the hydrated electron at 20 ps equal to 4.2 × 10(-7) mol J(-1) and by assuming the values of the extinction coefficients of e(aq)(-) and OH(•) at 782 nm (ε(λ=782 nm) = 17025 M(-1) cm(-1)) and at 263 nm (ε(λ=263 nm) = 460 M(-1) cm(-1)), respectively. The value of the yield of OH(•) radical at 10 ps is found to be (4.80 ± 0.12) × 10(-7) mol J(-1).

Picosecond pulse radiolysis of direct and indirect radiolytic effects in highly concentrated halide aqueous solutions.

Recently we measured the amount of the single product, Br(3)(-), of steady-state radiolysis of highly concentrated Br(-) aqueous solutions, and we showed the effect of the direct ionization of Br(-) on the yield of Br(3)(-). Here, we report the first picosecond pulse-probe radiolysis measurements of ionization of highly concentrated Br(-) and Cl(-) aqueous solutions to describe the oxidation mechanism of the halide anions. The transient absorption spectra are reported from 350 to 750 nm on the picosecond range for halide solutions at different concentrations. In the highly concentrated halide solutions, we observed that, due to the presence of Na(+), the absorption band of the solvated electron is shifted to shorter wavelengths, but its decay, taking place during the spur reactions, is not affected within the first 4 ns. The kinetic measurements in the UV reveal the direct ionization of halide ions. The analysis of pulse-probe measurements show that after the electron pulse, the main reactions in solutions containing 1 M of Cl(-) and 2 M of Br(-) are the formation of ClOH(-•) and BrOH(-•), respectively. In contrast, in highly concentrated halide solutions, containing 5 M of Cl(-) and 6 M of Br(-), mainly Cl(2)(-•) and Br(2)(-•) are formed within the electron pulse without formation of ClOH(-•) and BrOH(-•). The results suggest that, not only Br(-) and Cl(-) are directly ionized into Br(•) and Cl(•) by the electron pulse, the halide atoms can also be rapidly generated through the reactions initiated by excitation and ionization of water, such as the prompt oxidation by the hole, H(2)O(+•), generated in the coordination sphere of the anion.