Regular Article

Electron attachment to molecules in a cluster environment: suppression and enhancement effects^★

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0299, USA

^a e-mail: iif@unlserve.unl.edu

Received: 26 February 2018
Received in final form: 29 March 2018
Published online: 29 May 2018

Abstract

Cluster environments can strongly influence dissociative electron attachment (DEA) processes. These effects are important in many applications, particularly for surface chemistry, radiation damage, and atmospheric physics. We review several mechanisms for DEA suppression and enhancement due to cluster environments, particularly due to microhydration. Long-range electron–molecule and electron–cluster interactions play often a significant role in these effects and can be analysed by using theoretical models. Nevertheless many observations remain unexplained due to complexity of the physics and chemistry of interaction of DEA fragments with the cluster environment.