Radiolytic yields of solvated electrons in ionic liquid and its solvation dynamics at low temperature

• The production of solvated electrons in the ionic liquids P14NTf2 was investigated.
• The temperature dependence of the radiolytic yield of esol- was evaluated.
• Pulse radiolysis shows a decrease of Gxε with decreasing temperature in P14NTf2.
• The solvation mechanism was deciphered following the peak shift method.

We present an investigation of the solvated electron in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (P14NTf2) using pulse radiolytic techniques. Temperature-dependent studies reveal that the yield of the solvated electron decreases with decreasing temperature. The lower initial yield measured indicates that we have a loss of some electrons before they become fully solvated. There may be a high probability that the excess dry electrons (pre-solvated electron) react before the electron solvation is completed because the solvation dynamics is slowing down with decreasing temperature.