The mutual neutralization of hydronium and hydroxide ions is a reaction of fundamental interest that has recently been implicated in the generation of high concentrations of hydroxyl radicals at the surface of water microdroplets. Using three-dimensional imaging of the coincident neutral products of the reaction of D3O+ and OD−, two competing pathways for OH radical formation have now been experimentally observed.
- Alon Bogot
- Mathias Poline
- Daniel Strasser