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Title: Time-resolved radiation chemistry: Dynamics of electron attachment to uracil following UV excitation of iodide-uracil complexes

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903197· OSTI ID:22423770
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 København Ø (Denmark)

Electron attachment to uracil was investigated by applying time-resolved photoelectron imaging to iodide-uracil (I{sup –}U) complexes. In these studies, an ultraviolet pump pulse initiated charge transfer from the iodide to the uracil, and the resulting dynamics of the uracil temporary negative ion were probed. Five different excitation energies were used, 4.00 eV, 4.07 eV, 4.14 eV, 4.21 eV, and 4.66 eV. At the four lowest excitation energies, which lie near the vertical detachment energy of the I{sup –}U complex (4.11 eV), signatures of both the dipole bound (DB) as well as the valence bound (VB) anion of uracil were observed. In contrast, only the VB anion was observed at 4.66 eV, in agreement with previous experiments in this higher energy range. The early-time dynamics of both states were highly excitation energy dependent. The rise time of the DB anion signal was ∼250 fs at 4.00 eV and 4.07 eV, ∼120 fs at 4.14 eV and cross-correlation limited at 4.21 eV. The VB anion rise time also changed with excitation energy, ranging from 200 to 300 fs for excitation energies 4.00–4.21 eV, to a cross-correlation limited time at 4.66 eV. The results suggest that the DB state acts as a “doorway” state to the VB anion at 4.00–4.21 eV, while direct attachment to the VB anion occurs at 4.66 eV.

OSTI ID:
22423770
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 141, Issue 22; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English