Final Report Summary - SOLVE (Solvated Electrons in Water: Structure, Dynamics and Reactivity at Interfaces)
The overarching aim of the project was to develop a fundamental understanding of how an excess electron is accommodated in matter on a molecular level. To this end, we developed new methods that have enabled us to probe this using single molecule and ambient interfaces. We have discovered new mechanisms by which electrons are captured by molecules. Some of these mechanisms involve newly discovered electronic states of anions. We have shown that electron accommodation at a water interface shows subtle differences to that in the bulk, but that the overall spectral properties of the solvated electron remain similar. Overall, our work has provided new probes of electron accommodation in matter and has paved the way to studying electron attachment in real-time for a wide range of systems including biomolecules and interfaces.