In slightly polar solvents, such as ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylether (DEE) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), the reaction of the solvated electron with divalent magnesium has been studied with the pulse radiolysis technique. The rate constant value of the reaction between solvated Mg-II and solvated electrons is found to be 4.8 x 10(9) l mol(-1) s(1) in EDA and 1.1 x 10(10) l mol(-1) s(1) in DEE and THF. The reduction of the divalent magnesium in DEE and THF leads to the formation of species absorbing around 950 and 985 nm, respectively. The absorption bands are broad and intense. These species are suggested to be either monovalent magnesium ions or solvated electron-ion pairs (Mg-II,e(s)(-)).