Solvated Electrons on Metal Oxide Surfaces

An electron added to a solvent polarizes its surrounding medium to minimize the free energy. Such an electron with its polarization cloud, which we refer to as the solvated electron, is one of the most fundamental chemical reagents of significant experimental and theoretical interest. The structure and dynamics of solvated electrons in protic solvents have been explored ever since the discovery of intense blue coloration in solutions of alkali metals in ammonia. Because solvated electrons are the most fundamental chemical reagents as well as carriers of negative charge, substantial experimental and theoretical efforts have focused on elucidating their equilibrium structure and solvation dynamics in a variety of neat liquids. One of the most important but least explored environments for solvated electrons, namely, the two-dimensional liquid/solid and liquid/vacuum interfaces, is the subject of this review.