Professor Ward Thompson Announced as Winner of the May 2026 Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award
The Department of Chemistry congratulates Professor Ward Thompson on receiving the May 2026 Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service!
The Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award is a monthly competition among chemistry faculty. Every month, the Chemistry Department Chair and Associate Chairs review the peer-reviewed papers published by chemistry faculty from the three previous months to select a winner. The recipient receives a $1000 cash prize and is featured on the departmental website.
For a full list of winners, visit our Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award webpage.
Reactivity of the Hydrated Electron
By David M. Bartels* and Ward H. Thompson*
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, 2026, 77, 43-60. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physchem-082324-104448
Hydrated electrons are one of the most intriguing and unusual species in chemistry. They are typically created in water by radiation detaching an electron that then carves out a cavity that is stabilized by hydrogen bonds from surrounding waters, as illustrated in the accompanying figure that shows the electron wavefunction as a blue isosurface. Because it has no nucleus, the hydrated electron can react with (reduce) many species simply by transferring the electron. This is an important key step in radiation-induced damage, yet the reactivity of the hydrated electron is still not well understood. The highlighted article reviews the current status of understanding of the hydrated electron reactivity. This includes discussions of key experimental characterizations as well as the recent progress in modeling the reactions. The latter has been particularly advanced in recent years by applications of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, enabled by both method developments and increased computing power. Finally, the prospects and directions for unraveling the chemistry of the hydrated electron are discussed.
