Electron attachment

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-003706",
  "term": "Electron attachment",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A process in which a free electron joins an atom, molecule, or ion, giving a species of more negative charge. It may be radiative, with a photon carrying off the excess energy, dissociative, with the molecule breaking into a fragment anion and a neutral piece, or three-body, with a third particle absorbing the excess energy. Dissociative attachment can occur even when the parent molecule has a negative electron affinity, as in the formation of chloride ion from chloromethane.",
  "subject": "Physical and Biophysical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "attachment",
    "molecular entity",
    "oxidation",
    "reduction"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 1991, 63, 1541. 'Recommendations for nomenclature and symbolism for mass spectroscopy (including an appendix of terms used in vacuum technology). (Recommendations 1991)' on page 1547 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163101541)",
    "PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1109 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/electron-attachment/"
}