Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Delocalized Excited States of the Hydrated Electron

Research under support of this grant has been focused on the understanding of highly delocalized ''conduction-band-like'' excited states of solvated electrons in bulk water, in water trapped in the core of reverse micelles, and in alkane solvents. We have strived in this work to probe conduction-band-like states by a variety of ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. (Most of which were developed under DOE support in a previous funding cycle.) We have recorded the optical spectrum of the hydrated electron for the first time. This was accomplished by applying a photo-detrapping technique that we had developed in a previous funding cycle, but had not yet been applied to characterize the actual spectrum. In the cases of reverse micelles, we have been investigating the potential role of conduction bands in the electron attachment process and the photoinduced detrapping, and have published two papers on this topic. Finally, we have been exploring solvated electrons in isooctane from various perspectives. All of these results strongly support the conclusion that optically accessible, highly delocalized electronic states exist in these various media.