Independent pairs and Monte-Carlo simulations of the geminate recombination of solvated electrons in liquid-to-supercritical water

Abstract

Independent pairs (IP) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are employed to model experimental femtosecond time-resolved pump–probe spectroscopic data on the geminate recombination dynamics of solvated electrons in liquid-to-supercritical water. The hydrated electron was created by two-photon ionization of the neat fluid with a total ionization energy of 9.3 eV. In both numerical approaches, the ejection length, 〈r₀〉, (i.e. the distance from the ionization core, at which the electron is thermally and spatially localized) is used as the primary adjustable fitting parameter that can bring both model simulations into quantitative agreement with the ultrafast kinetic experiment. The influence of the thermodynamic conditions on the ejection length and on the recombination mechanism is discussed. Whereas in the compressed liquid associated with a high dielectric constant (ε ≥ 20), the electron recombines predominantly with the OH radical, the dissociative recombination via charge neutralization with the hydronium cation takes over at small dielectric constants (ε < 20). The importance of charge–dipole interactions for Monte-Carlo simulations of the recombination reactions of the hydrated electrons in the low-permittivity region is stressed.