Revealing ultrafast proton-transfer-mediated autoionization as a source of low-energy electrons in hydrogen-bonded systems

Nature Communications, Published online: 28 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73415-3 Here, the authors tracked ultrafast proton migration and hydrogen back-transfer in photoionized water dimers. These dynamics trigger fast autoionization that emits low-energy electrons, key agents in DNA damage, outpacing intermolecular Coulombic decay.