Short-lived charge-transfer-to-solvent-states and multiple electronic relaxations following femtosecond excitation of aqueous chloride ion

Abstract

Early charge transfer processes triggered by the photoexcitation of an aqueous sodium chloride solution (molar ratio H2O/NaCl = 55) at 294 K have been investigated by using femtosecond absorption UV-IR spectroscopy. The initial UV energy deposition proceeding by one- (4 eV) and/or two-photon (2 × 4 eV) absorption results in the formation of multiple short-lived electronic states which have been discriminated within the spectral range 360-1250 nm (3.44-0.99 eV). Two well-separated spectral signatures involving UV and infrared transitions have been discriminated and assigned to different excited CTTS states (charge transfer to solvent) as recently suggested by quantum simulations of an aqueous..