Electrons, excitons and hydrogen bonding: electron-promoted desorption from molecular ice surfaces

Abstract

Desorption of benzene (C₆H₆) from thick methanol (CH₃OH) and diethyl ether (CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃) ices during irradiation with 250 eV electrons is reported and compared with our previous work on C₆H₆ desorption from water (H₂O) ice systems. C₆H₆ electron-promoted desorption (EPD) is seen to be sensitive to the chemical nature of the substrate reflecting both the importance of the excitations localised around the O-atom versus those involving the C-atom; and the role of hydrogen bonding interactions in transporting non-dissociative electronic excitation to the substrate/C₆H₆ interfaces during the electron irradiation.