Charge Transfer Reactions from I– to Polar Protic Solvents Studied Using Ultrafast Extreme Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Charge transfer reactions from I– to solvent water, methanol, and ethanol were studied using extreme ultraviolet time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (EUV-TRPES). This technique eliminates spectral broadening, previously seen in UV-TRPES, caused by electron inelastic scattering in liquids, and enables clear observation of the temporal evolution of the spectral shape. The peak position, width, and intensity of the electron binding energy distribution indicate electron detachment and subsequent solvation and thermalization processes. Geminate recombination between detached electrons and iodine atoms is discussed using a diffusion equation and a global fitting analysis based on a kinetics model.