The Mechanisms of Fast Reactions in Solution

This text deals with the contribution of fast reaction techniques to our understanding of events on the molecular scale during chemical reactions. It covers the advances resulting from the combination of chemical kinetic and spectroscopic methods and highlights the information to be obtained from ultrafast processes lasting a few picoseconds or less. Computerized molecular dynamics calculations are shown to be an additional important tool. These methods have transformed the extent of detail of knowledge it is now possible to obtain of individual reaction mechanisms. The book contains sections on: the rates of diffusion-controlled reactions, the mathematical theory of diffusion and diffusion-controlled reaction rates, flash-photolysis techniques, initiation by high-energy radiation: plus radiolysis, fluorescence quenching and energy-transfer from excited molecules, ultrafast processes: sub-picosecond and femtosecond techniques, proton-transfer and group-transfer reactions in solution: Marcus theory (I) and electron-transfer reactions: Marcus theory (II).