Energetics of electron transfer reactions in polar solvents

Abstract

The free energy change of an electron transfer reaction in a polar solvent is rigorously analyzed within the framework of the dielectric continuum model. An appropriate expression for the electrostatic energy between the two product ions separated by R is derived. The present result does not support a recent claim by Suppan that, if R is close to the contact distance, the electrostatic energy should be much larger in magnitude than estimated from the usual expression −e 2 ϵ s R .