ABSTRACT
As a consequence of the radiation-induced ionization of matter, electrons and parent radical cations are primarily formed. Whereas in polar media the parent ions are extremely unstable, in nonpolar systems (alkanes, alkyl chlorides, freons, etc.) such radical cations may persist for longer times, depending on the temperature and viscosity. The lifetime of radical cations in neat systems is determined by neutralization, deprotonation, and fragmentation. This is known since decades (see, e.g., Mehnert, 1991; Tabata et al., 1991), and will be brie¡y reviewed in this chapter.
