Electrons and Water Molecules Form a Pulsating Cluster
March 3, 2021•
Physics 14, s29
In water, single electrons can cluster with water molecules to form a quasiparticle that oscillates in size, a behavior that could influence the equilibration speed of chemical reactions in the system.
M. Wörner/Max Born Institute
M. Wörner/Max Born Institute
×
When a free electron in water interacts with neighboring water molecules, it can form a quasiparticle known as a “solvated” electron. How these solvated electrons behave provides fundamental insights for charge transport and chemical reactions. Now, Michael Wörner of the Max Born Institute in Germany and colleagues have observed solvated electrons in water inducing previously unseen terahertz-scale oscillations in the water’s polarization [1]. These oscillations may play an important role in how a chemical reaction approaches equilibrium.