Abstract :
The solvated electron, e-S, in alkanols is considered to have a physical zone of volume, VP, and this volume is surrounded by an inactive zone of volume, VI, which contains the hydrocarbon parts of the alkanol molecules responsible for solvating the electron. In a diffusion controlled reaction of e-S with a neutral species, the neutral species reaches the outer boundary of VI by the Stokes-Einstein mutual diffusion process. However, neutral species must advance inside VI before the reaction is completed. Making certain assumptions, the nature of the movement of the neutral species inside VI and the reaction probabilities at various points inside VI have been examined, and appropriate mathematical formulation has been developed. A comparison of the computed and experimental results, for the diffusion-controlled reactions of e-S with phenanthrene in C1 to C10 1-alkanols, suggests that the product of the diffusion coefficient of phenanthrene and the reaction probability decreases exponentially with increasing total volume of e-S.
