Trapped electrons in tert-butanol-water glasses

We have determined that the range of tert-butanol-water solutions which form good glasses lies between 6 and 16 mol% tert-butanol. This covers the range over which all the water is present in the form of clathrate shells. The pulse radiolysis of glasses at both extremes of the glass-forming range at 6 K and 72 K reveals the production of both infrared-absorbing, e-sub(ir), and visible-absorbing, e-sub(vis), trapped electrons. However, in all cases, e-sub(ir) greatly dominates the spectrum. If the clathrate picture of these solutions is correct, it implies that electrons trapped in the water clathrate shells exist as e-sub(ir). The present study provides the clearest picture thus far of the environment of e-sub(ir) in an aqueous glass. (author)