Recent advances in prethermal chemistry: real-time probing of elementary electron transfer reactions

Yann Gauduel (1) , Abdeslem Hallou (1)

1 LOA - Laboratoire d'optique appliquée

In liquids and electrolyte solutions, elementary radical reactions may be investigated on the time scale of molecular motions by femtosecond visible-IR absorption spectroscopy. Some studies devoted to the microscopic understanding of sub-picosecond prehydration electron transfer between an aqueous halide ion (Cl-) and ionic acceptors (Cd++, H+) are presented. Within an electron hydration regime, the one-electron reduction of a metallic ion or a hydrated proton (hydronium or dihydronium ion) is totally achieved in less than 2 × 10^-12 s at 294 K. The consequences of an early partition between reactive and nonreactive IR electronic pathways on the electron hydration process are discussed.

Keywords: electron 'p-state; Femtosecond spectroscopy; electron 'p-state'; proton; vibronic coupling; radical reaction

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Theoretical and/or physical chemistry

Yann Gauduel, Abdeslem Hallou. Recent advances in prethermal chemistry: real-time probing of elementary electron transfer reactions. Research on Chemical Intermediates, 2001, 27 (4-5), pp.359-377. ⟨hal-00576797⟩