Yield of Solvated Electrons in the γ Radiolysis of Water + 10% Ethanol: Nonhomogeneous Kinetics of Electron Scavenging in Water

The effect of nitrous oxide concentration over a very wide range, and at low dose, on the radiolysis of the system water + 10% ethanol has been investigated. At very high concentrations ${\mathrm{G(N}}_2\text{)\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}4.0}$ compared to approximately 2.7 between 10⁻⁴ and 10⁻²M nitrous oxide. The results are discussed in terms of a nonhomogeneous kinetics model for the scavenging of solvated electrons, with $\mathrm{G\hspace{0.17em}(}\mathrm{total\; ionization}\text{)\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}4.0}$ . The free ion yield is ${\mathrm{G(e}}_{\mathrm{solv}}^{-}{)}_{\mathrm{fi}}\text{\hspace{0.17em}=\hspace{0.17em}2.7}$ . These values apply to both the present system and to pure water. The wide variation in previously reported values of ${\mathrm{G(e}}_{\mathrm{aq}}^{-})$ is understandable in terms of the present model. The previously published model for charge scavenging in liquids [J. Chem. Phys. 46, 2822 (1967) ] has been moderately successful in describing charge scavenging in the γ radiolysis of hydrocarbons, alcohols, and water. This emphasizes the earlier suggestion that the behavior of extra electrons in nonpolar and polar liquids differs in degree but not in kind.