Optical absorption spectrum of solvated electrons in pure <i>tert</i>-butanol: effect of temperature

Abstract

The energy and asymmetry of the optical absorption spectrum of solvated electrons, es, change in a nonlinear fashion on changing the solvent through the series HOH, CH3OH, CH3CH3OH, (CH3)2CHOH, (CH3)3COH. The ultimate, quantum-statistical mechanical, interpretation of solvated electron spectra is needed to describe the solvent dependence. The previously reported optical spectrum of es − in tert-butanol was somewhat inaccurate, due to a small amount of water in the alcohol and to limitations of the infrared light detector. The present note records the remeasured spectrum and its temperature dependence. The value of the energy at the absorption maximum (EAmax) is 155 zJ (0.97 eV) at 299 K and 112 zJ (0.70 eV) at 338 K; the corresponding values of Gemax (10 m aJ) are 1.06 and 0.74. These unusually large changes are attributed to the abnormally rapid decrease of dielectric permittivity of tert-butanol with increasing temperature. The band asymmetry at 299 K is Wb/Wr = 1.8.