Probing Anion-Molecule Complexes of Atmospheric Relevance Using Anion Photoelectron Detachment Spectroscopy

Bimolecular reaction and collision complexes that drive atmospheric chemistry and contribute to the absorption of solar radiation are fleeting and therefore inherently challenging to study experimentally. Furthermore, primary anions in the troposphere are short lived because of a complicated web of reactions and complex formation they undergo, making details of their early fate elusive. In this perspective, the experimental approach of photodetaching mass-selected anion-molecule complexes or complex anions, which prepares neutrals in various vibronic states, is surveyed. Specifically, the application of anion photoelectron spectroscopy along with photoelectron-photofragment coincidence spectroscopy toward the study of collision complexes, complex anions in which a partial covalent bond is formed, and radical bimolecular reaction complexes, with relevance in tropospheric chemistry, will be highlighted.