Picosecond observations of electron solvation in dilute polar fluids

Electron solvation has been studied in dilute polar fluids in order to quantify the role of the fluid in the proposed mechanisms of electron trapping and solvation. In a series of dilute alcohol-alkane systems, the picosecond evolution of the absorption spectrum is shown to be a sensitive function of the local liquid structure and dynamics. A solvation mechanism is outlined which correlates the absorption and mobility data from neat and dilute polar fluids.