Femtosecond relaxation dynamics of solvated electrons in liquid ammonia

Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Solvated Electrons in Ammonia Clusters

We investigated excess electron solvation dynamics in (NH₃)_n^- ammonia clusters in the n = 8-32 size range by performing finite temperature molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, we focused on three possible scenarios. The first case is designed to model electron attachment to small neutral ammonia clusters (n ≤ ∼10) that form hydrogen-bonded chains. The excess electron is bound to the clusters via dipole bound states, and persists with a VDE of ∼160 meV at 100 K for the n = 8 cluster. The coupled nuclear and electronic relaxation is fast (within ∼100 fs) and takes place predominantly by intermolecular librational motions and the intramolecular umbrella mode. The second scenario illustrates the mechanism of excess electron attachment to cold compact neutral clusters of medium size (8 ≤ n ≤ 32). The neutral clusters show increasing tendency with size to bind the excess electron on the surface of the clusters in weakly bound, diffuse, and highly delocalized states. Anionic relaxation trajectories launched from these initial states provide no indication for excess electron stabilization for sizes n < 24. Excess electrons are likely to autodetach from these clusters. The two largest investigated clusters (n = 24 and 32) can accommodate the excess electron in electronic states that are mainly localized on the surface, but they may be partly embedded in the cluster. In the last 500 fs of the simulated trajectories, the VDE of the solvated electron fluctuates around ∼200 meV for n = 24 and ∼500 meV for n = 32, consistent with the values extrapolated from the experimentally observed linear VDE-n^-1/3 trend. In the third case, we prepared neutral ammonia cluster configurations, including an n = 48 cluster, that contain possible electron localization sites within the interior of the cluster. Excess electrons added to these clusters localize in cavities with high VDEs up to 1.9 eV for n = 48. The computed VDE values for larger clusters are considerably higher than the experimentally observed photoelectric threshold energy for the solvated electron in bulk ammonia (∼1.4 eV). Molecular dynamics simulations launched from these initial cavity states strongly indicate, however, that these cavity structures exist only for ∼200 fs. During the relaxation the electron leaves the cavity and becomes delocalized, while the cluster loses its initial compactness.

Excess electrons bound to H2S trimer and tetramer clusters

We have prepared the hydrogen sulfide trimer and tetramer anions, (H2S)3− and (H2S)4−, measured their anion photoelectron spectra, and applied high-level quantum chemical calculations to interpret the results.

Impact of laser-ionized liquid nonlinear characteristics on the efficiency of terahertz wave generation

The generation of terahertz (THz) radiation during the propagation of subpicosecond pulses in liquid media is investigated using a theoretical model considering the relative contribution of Kerr and plasma nonlinearity. The dependences of the THz emission generation efficiency on the contribution of plasma nonlinearity with a fixed third-order nonlinearity value revealed the existence of weak and strong ionization modes. It is shown that the transition between these modes is determined by the ratio of plasma to Kerr nonlinearity coefficients and the pump energy. In the strong ionization mode and with the fixed contribution of plasma nonlinearity, the optical-to-THz conversion efficiency decreases with increasing Kerr nonlinearity due to the redistribution of the pump energy for the third-order effects. These results contribute to estimating the potential of liquid media as highly efficient THz sources.

Probing the band gap of liquid ammonia with femtosecond multiphoton ionization spectroscopy

The solvated electron primary yield is used in a multiphoton-ionization action-spectroscopic experiment to explore the band gap of liquid ammonia.

Counterion effects on the ultrafast dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent electrons

We performed femtosecond transient absorption (TA) experiments to monitor the solvation dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) electrons originating from UV photoexcitation of ammoniated iodide in close proximity to the counterions. Solutions of KI were prepared in liquid ammonia and TA experiments were carried out at different temperatures and densities, along the liquid-gas coexistence curve of the fluid. The results complement previous femtosecond TA work by P. Vöhringer's group in neat ammonia via multiphoton ionization. The dynamics of CTTS-detached electrons in ammonia was found to be strongly affected by ion pairing. Geminate recombination time constants as well as escape probabilities were determined from the measured temporal profiles and analysed as a function of the medium density. A fast unresolved (τ < 250 fs) increase of absorption related to the creation/thermalization of solvated electron species was followed by two decay components: one with a characteristic time around 10 ps, and a slower one that remains active for hundreds of picoseconds. While the first process is attributed to an early recombination of (I, e^-) pairs, the second decay and its asymptote reflects the effect of the K⁺ counterion on the geminate recombination dynamics, rate and yield. The cation basically acts as an electron anchor that restricts the ejection distance, leading to solvent-separated counterion-electron species. The formation of (K⁺, NH₃, e^-) pairs close to the parent iodine atom brings the electron escape probability to very low values. Transient spectra of the electron species have also been estimated as a function of time by probing the temporal profiles at different wavelengths.

Materials Properties and Solvated Electron Dynamics of Isolated Nanoparticles and Nanodroplets Probed with Ultrafast Extreme Ultraviolet Beams

We present ultrafast photoemission measurements of isolated nanoparticles in vacuum using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light produced through high harmonic generation. Surface-selective static EUV photoemission measurements were performed on nanoparticles with a wide array of compositions, ranging from ionic crystals to nanodroplets of organic material. We find that the total photoelectron yield varies greatly with nanoparticle composition and provides insight into material properties such as the electron mean free path and effective mass. Additionally, we conduct time-resolved photoelectron yield measurements of isolated oleylamine nanodroplets, observing that EUV photons can create solvated electrons in liquid nanodroplets. Using photoemission from a time-delayed 790 nm pulse, we observe that a solvated electron is produced in an excited state and subsequently relaxes to its ground state with a lifetime of 151 ± 31 fs. This work demonstrates that femotosecond EUV photoemission is a versatile surface-sensitive probe of the properties and ultrafast dynamics of isolated nanoparticles.

Angle-Resolved Photoemission of Solvated Electrons in Sodium-Doped Clusters

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of the unpaired electron in sodium-doped water, methanol, ammonia, and dimethyl ether clusters is presented. The experimental observations and the complementary calculations are consistent with surface electrons for the cluster size range studied. Evidence against internally solvated electrons is provided by the photoelectron angular distribution. The trends in the ionization energies seem to be mainly determined by the degree of hydrogen bonding in the solvent and the solvation of the ion core. The onset ionization energies of water and methanol clusters do not level off at small cluster sizes but decrease slightly with increasing cluster size.

Ultrafast dynamics of electrons in ammonia

Solvated electrons were first discovered in solutions of metals in liquid ammonia. The physical and chemical properties of these species have been studied extensively for many decades using an arsenal of electrochemical, spectroscopic, and theoretical techniques. Yet, in contrast to their hydrated counterpart, the ultrafast dynamics of ammoniated electrons remained completely unexplored until quite recently. Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy on metal-ammonia solutions and femtosecond multiphoton ionization spectroscopy on the neat ammonia solvent have provided new insights into the optical properties and the reactivities of this fascinating species. This article reviews the nature of the optical transition, which gives the metal-ammonia solutions their characteristic blue appearance, in terms of ultrafast relaxation processes involving bound and continuum excited states. The recombination processes following the injection of an electron via photoionization of the solvent are discussed in the context of the electronic structure of the liquid and the anionic defect associated with the solvated electron.

Electron tunneling in lithium-ammonia solutions probed by frequency-dependent electron spin relaxation studies

Electron transfer or quantum tunneling dynamics for excess or solvated electrons in dilute lithium-ammonia solutions have been studied by pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy at both X- (9.7 GHz) and W-band (94 GHz) frequencies. The electron spin-lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation data indicate an extremely fast transfer or quantum tunneling rate of the solvated electron in these solutions which serves to modulate the hyperfine (Fermi-contact) interaction with nitrogen nuclei in the solvation shells of ammonia molecules surrounding the localized, solvated electron. The donor and acceptor states of the solvated electron in these solutions are the initial and final electron solvation sites found before, and after, the transfer or tunneling process. To interpret and model our electron spin relaxation data from the two observation EPR frequencies requires a consideration of a multiexponential correlation function. The electron transfer or tunneling process that we monitor through the correlation time of the nitrogen Fermi-contact interaction has a time scale of (1-10) × 10(-12) s over a temperature range 230-290 K in our most dilute solution of lithium in ammonia. Two types of electron-solvent interaction mechanisms are proposed to account for our experimental findings. The dominant electron spin relaxation mechanism results from an electron tunneling process characterized by a variable donor-acceptor distance or range (consistent with such a rapidly fluctuating liquid structure) in which the solvent shell that ultimately accepts the transferring electron is formed from random, thermal fluctuations of the liquid structure in, and around, a natural hole or Bjerrum-like defect vacancy in the liquid. Following transfer and capture of the tunneling electron, further solvent-cage relaxation with a time scale of ∼10(-13) s results in a minor contribution to the electron spin relaxation times. This investigation illustrates the great potential of multifrequency EPR measurements to interrogate the microscopic nature and dynamics of ultrafast electron transfer or quantum-tunneling processes in liquids. Our results also impact on the universal issue of the role of a host solvent (or host matrix, e.g. a semiconductor) in mediating long-range electron transfer processes and we discuss the implications of our results with a range of other materials and systems exhibiting the phenomenon of electron transfer.

Alkali metals in ethylenediamine: a computational study of the optical absorption spectra and NMR parameters of [M(en)3(δ+)·M(δ-)] ion pairs

The optical absorption spectra of alkali metals in ethylenediamine have provided evidence for a third oxidation state, -1, of all of the alkali metals heavier than lithium. Experimentally determined NMR parameters have supported this interpretation, further indicating that whereas Na(-) is a genuine metal anion, the interaction of the alkali anion with the medium becomes progressively stronger for the larger metals. Herein, first-principles computations based upon density functional theory are carried out on various species which may be present in solutions composed of alkali metals and ethylenediamine. The energies of a number of hypothetical reactions computed with a continuum solvation model indicate that neither free metal anions, M(-), nor solvated electrons are the most stable species. Instead, [Li(en)(3)](2) and [M(en)(3)(δ+)·M(δ-)] (M = Na, K, Rb, Cs) are predicted to have enhanced stability. The M(en)(3) complexes can be viewed as superalkalis or expanded alkalis, ones in which the valence electron density is pulled out to a greater extent than in the alkali metals alone. The computed optical absorption spectra and NMR parameters of the [Li(en)(3)](2) superalkali dimer and the [M(en)(3)(δ+)·M(δ-)] superalkali-alkali mixed dimers are in good agreement with the aforementioned experimental results, providing further evidence that these may be the dominant species in solution. The latter can also be thought of as an ion pair formed from an alkali metal anion (M(-)) and solvated cation (M(en)(3)(+)).

Relaxation Dynamics upon Ultrashort UV Photo-Excitation of an Iodide Doped Ionic Liquid and of a Pure Lithium Iodide Melt

The ultrafast dynamics of photolytically generated solvated electrons were investigated for the first time in a pure lithium iodide (LiI) melt at 480 °C and in an iodide doped room-temperature ionic liquid. A 70 fs UV-pulse was used to generate excess electrons and their subsequent transient response was monitored in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. In LiI a pulse-duration limited rise of the induced absorption at all probe wavelengths was attributed to the formation of excess electrons. A minor portion of these electrons (∼20%) were subject to geminate recombination with a time constant of 2 ps. Thereafter, the induced absorption remained unaltered for over 100 ps. The ultrafast dynamics in an iodide doped room-temperature ionic liquid contrasts with the ultrafast response of excess electrons in LiI and in pure room temperature ionic liquids. First, the formation of solvated electrons seems to be delayed by up to 2 ps and second, iodine atoms act as efficient electron scavengers on a tens of ps time scale. As a result, ∼80% of the initially prepared solvated electrons undergo geminate recombination after about 70 ps. Furthermore, an additional component around 720 nm is attributed to the formation of diiodide.

Long Range Nonadiabatic Couplings and the Cluster-Size Dependence of the Lifetime of Excited Hydrated Electrons

The recently observed linear dependence of the lifetime of excited hydrated electrons upon the inverse of the cluster size is explained in terms of a nonadiabatic long range coupling mechanism. It is due to dipolar interactions between the p→s transition and the excitation of the infrared active modes of the solvent water molecules.

Dynamics of electrons in ammonia cages: the discovery system of solvation

Two centuries ago solvated electrons were discovered in liquid ammonia and a century later the concept of the solvent cage was introduced. Here, we report a real time study of the dynamics of size-selected clusters, n=20 to 60, of electrons in ammonia, and, for comparison, that of electrons in water cages. Unlike the water case, the observed dynamics for ammonia indicates the formation, through a 100 fs temperature jump, of a solvent collective motion in a 500 fs relaxation process. The agreement of the experimental results-obtained for a well-defined n, gated electron kinetic energy, and time delay-with molecular dynamics theory suggests the critical and different role of the kinetic energy and the librational motions involved in solvation.

Moving solvated electrons with light: Nonadiabatic mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations of the relocalization of photoexcited solvated electrons in tetrahydrofuran (THF)

Motivated by recent ultrafast spectroscopic experiments [Martini et al., Science 293, 462 (2001)], which suggest that photoexcited solvated electrons in tetrahydrofuran (THF) can relocalize (that is, return to equilibrium in solvent cavities far from where they started), we performed a series of nonequilibrium, nonadiabatic, mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations that mimic one-photon excitation of the THF-solvated electron. We find that as photoexcited THF-solvated electrons relax to their ground states either by continuous mixing from the excited state or via nonadiabatic transitions, approximately 30% of them relocalize into cavities that can be over 1 nm away from where they originated, in close agreement with the experiments. A detailed investigation shows that the ability of excited THF-solvated electrons to undergo photoinduced relocalization stems from the existence of preexisting cavity traps that are an intrinsic part of the structure of liquid THF. This explains why solvated electrons can undergo photoinduced relocalization in solvents like THF but not in solvents like water, which lack the preexisting traps necessary to stabilize the excited electron in other places in the fluid. We also find that even when they do not ultimately relocalize, photoexcited solvated electrons in THF temporarily visit other sites in the fluid, explaining why the photoexcitation of THF-solvated electrons is so efficient at promoting recombination with nearby scavengers. Overall, our study shows that the defining characteristic of a liquid that permits the photoassisted relocalization of solvated electrons is the existence of nascent cavities that are attractive to an excess electron; we propose that other such liquids can be found from classical computer simulations or neutron diffraction experiments.

Evidence for laser-induced formation of solvated electrons in room temperature ionic liquids

The photolytic generation of solvated electrons was observed for the first time in two room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL) and 1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL). A 70 fs UV-pulse was used to excite the RTILs, while the transient response was monitored in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. Immediately after excitation, a pulse duration limited rise of the induced absorption indicated the formation of solvated electrons suggesting the existence of pre-formed traps in RTILs. A broad transient absorption spectrum with a full width at half maximum of about 0.9 eV, typical for solvated electrons, was reconstructed from the transient profiles. Wavelength-independent relaxation dynamics at longer delay times suggest a lifetime of solvated electrons in the ns regime in agreement with results from pulse radiolysis studies. Adding 1,1-dimethylpyrrolidinium iodide to IL led to an increase of the UV absorbance and consequently, to an increase of the yield of solvated electrons. Furthermore, this solute is an efficient electron scavenger causing the transients to decay within about 40 ps.