Precursors of Solvated Electrons in Radiobiological Physics and Chemistry

The article concerns the interactions of such electrons in the time before they become solvated and, more specifically, their interactions with biomolecules and the damage they induce. The recombination of positive ions with electrons, particularly in the condensed phase, is classified as geminate and bulk recombination. A large portion of this article is devoted to the interaction of the precursors of the solvated electron with DNA. The most significant effect of ionizing radiation in biology arises from radiation-induced genomic DNA damage. Among radiation-chemical reactions that have been studied in solution, the most important is the decomposition of pure water. The first observations on the radiation chemistry of water were made at the beginning of the last century. The SE yields have been measured from many solid-phase targets including nanoscale films of ice. The emission of LEEs produced during high-energy SE radiation depends mostly on stopping power, ionization probability, and the material's work function.