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Photoelectron–photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying the decarboxylation dynamics of carboxyl radicals. Measurement of photoelectron and photofragment kinetic energies in coincidence provides a kinematically complete measure of the dissociative photodetachment (DPD) dynamics of carboxylate anions. PPC spectroscopy studies of methanoate, ethanoate, propanoate, 2-butenoate, benzoate, p -coumarate and the oxalate monoanion are reviewed. All of the systems studied undergo decarboxylation via a two-body DPD channel i.e. , driven by the thermodynamic stability of CO 2 . Additionally, decarboxylation is observed via a three-body ionic photodissociation channel for p -coumarate. In some cases photodetachment also results in a stable carboxyl radical (RCO 2 ). The branching ratio for DPD, the threshold detachment energy and the peak of the kinetic energy release spectrum are compared for different carboxylates, as a probe of the character of the potential energy landscape in the Franck–Condon region. 

Photoelectron–photofragment coincidence spectroscopy was used to study the dissociation dynamics of the conjugate bases of benzoic acid and p -coumaric acid. Upon photodetachment at 266 nm (4.66 eV) both aromatic carboxylates undergo decarboxylation, as well as the formation of stable carboxyl radicals. The key energetics are computed using high-level electronic structure methods. The dissociation dynamics of benzoate were dominated by a two-body DPD channel resulting in CO 2 + C 6 H 5 + e − , with a very small amount of stable C 6 H 5 CO 2 showing that the radical ground state is stable and the excited states are dissociative. For p -coumarate ( p -CA − ) the dominant channel is photodetachment resulting in a stable radical and a photoelectron with electron kinetic energy (eKE) <2 eV. We also observed a minor two-body dissociative photodetachment (DPD) channel resulting in CO 2 + HOC 6 H 4 CHCH + e − , characterized by eKE <0.8 eV. Evidence was also found for a three-body ionic photodissociation channel producing HOC 6 H 5 + HCC − + CO 2 . The ion beam contained both the phenolate and carboxylate isomers of p -CA − , but DPD only occurred from the carboxylate form. For both species DPD is seen from the first and second excited states of the radical, where vibrational excitation is required for decarboxylation from the first excited radical state.