MEDIUM EFFECTS ON ELEMENTARY CHARGE-TRANSFER PROCESSES IN LIQUID AND SOLID ENVIRONMENTS

A systematic discussion of the effect of the medium on the elementary act of electron and proton transfer reactions is given. The effects du e to the softening or freezing of different discrete or continuum vibr ational modes are elucidated. The role of dielectric polarizability of the environment and its spatial dispersion and the influence of the i onic atmosphere are discussed for different reaction types. The option s offered by biological macromolecules as the reaction medium are cons idered. Focus is put on the differences of reaction rates in liquids a nd solids with an emphasis on some counterintuitive effects, which fol low from the detailed analysis.