Formation of cations and anions upon electron interaction with (doped) helium droplets

Superfluid helium droplets have provided a new perspective for studying electron induced chemistry at extremely low temperatures. Helium droplets represent an ideal environment for the formation of novel and exotic agglomerates of atoms and molecules. Mass spectrometry can be used to detect the resulting ions formed upon electron ionization and electron attachment to doped droplets. In the case of electron ionization a helium atom of the droplet is ionized initially and after few resonant charge transfer reactions between helium atoms the charge finally localises on the dopant. An alternative process is Penning ionization of the dopant, where the scattered electron first electronically excites a helium atom on the surface of the droplet. The attachment of a low energy electron leads to formation of an electron bubble inside the droplet which decays by autodetachment or localization on a dopant, if present in the droplet. In the present minireview a general overview about the field of electron scattering with doped helium droplets is given and a presentation of important recent results related to these electron collision studies is given as well.