Generation of laser-induced plasma in supercritical water and vibrational spectroscopic study of accompanying stimulated Raman scattering

We have formed a laser-induced plasma (LIP) in supercritical water (SCW) and studied associated molecular vibrations using spectroscopic methods. The accompanying forward and backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of water molecules showed anisotropic behavior at supercritical conditions (647 K and 22.1 MPa). The Raman shift of the backward SRS indicated that attractive interactions between water molecules and excess electrons generated by the LIP were dominant in the SCW. The backward SRS spectrum provided a microscopic view of the hydration environment around an excess electron, which is useful for controlling electron-driven chemical reactions and materials processing in SCW.