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.