Irradiation of organic and polymer films with low-energy electrons

Irradiation of an organic solid or a polymer with a beam of low-energy electrons produces a variety of fragments including radicals, anions and cations, as well as localized electrons trapped on a molecule or within a cluster of molecules. These species can be produced via dissociative electron attachment, resonant or direct electronic excitation to dissociative molecular states, dipolar dissociation, resonance stabilization and intermolecular stabilization. These mechanisms are reviewed in the present article with specific examples from recent results obtained from electron-bombardment of thin solid films of short saturated hydrocarbons, oligonucleotides and polyethylene. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.