Relaxation dynamics and genuine properties of the solvated electron in neutral water clusters

TL;DR

This study investigates the solvation dynamics, binding energy, and photoemission anisotropy of solvated electrons in neutral water clusters, revealing similarities to bulk water despite small cluster size.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the genuine properties of solvated electrons in water clusters using combined experimental and simulation approaches.

Findings

Solvation completes within about 2 ps.

Single spectral band indicates no isomer diversity.

Genuine binding energy is 3.55-3.85 eV, anisotropy 0.51-0.66.

Abstract

We have investigated the solvation dynamics and the genuine binding energy and photoemission anisotropy of the solvated electron in neutral water clusters with a combination of time-resolved photoelectron velocity map imaging and electron scattering simulations. The dynamics was probed with a UV probe pulse following above-band-gap excitation with a EUV pump pulse. The solvation dynamics is completed within about 2 ps. Only a single band is observed in the spectra, with no indication for isomers with distinct binding energies. Data analysis with an electron scattering model reveals a genuine binding energy in the range of 3.55-3.85 eV and a genuine anisotropy parameter in the range of 0.51-0.66 for the ground-state hydrated electron. All these observations coincide with those for liquid bulk, which is rather unexpected for an average cluster size of 300 molecules.