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Updated: May 28, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Solvation effects on angular distributions in H- (NH3)n and NH2(-) (NH3)n photodetachment: role of solute electronic
Emily R Grumbling1, Andrei Sanov
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
Abstract:
We report 355 and 532 nm photoelectron imaging results for H(-)(NH(3))(n) and NH(2)(-)(NH(3))(n), n = 0-5. The photoelectron spectra are consistent with the electrostatic picture of a charged solute (H(-) or NH(2)(-)) solvated by n ammonia molecules. For a given number of solvent molecules, the NH(2)(-) core anion is stabilized more strongly than H(-), yet the photoelectron angular distributions for solvated H(-) deviate more strongly from the unsolvated limit than those for solvated NH(2)(-). Hence, we conclude that solvation effects on photoelectron angular distributions are dependent on the electronic structure of the anion, i.e., the type of the initial orbital of the photodetached electron, rather than merely the strength of solvation interactions. We also find evidence of photofragmentation and autodetachment of NH(2)(-)(NH(3))(2-5), as well as autodetachment of H(-)(NH(3))(5), upon 532 nm excitation of these species.
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