Dynamics of Solvated Electron Transfer in Thin Ice Film Leading to a Large Enhancement in Photodissociation of CFCl₃

Abstract

Solvation and transfer dynamics of photoinjected electrons in thin ice film coadsorbed with CFCl3 were investigated by two-photon photoemission spectroscopy. Water molecules were found to solvate the photoinjected electrons within the first several hundred femtoseconds, thus stabilizing the electron with a lifetime of ca. 120 fs for 5 ML ice film grown on Ag(111). The significant lifetime decrease upon adsorption of CFCl3 on the ice film was attributed to dissociative electron transfer of the solvated electron based on the observed scission of the C-Cl bonds. Furthermore, the photodissociation rate of CFCl3 adsorbed directly on Ag(111) was observed to increase drastically owing to the transfer of the solvated electron when ice film was overlaid. Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society.