Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H2O)6·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2, N2, and CH4): messenger-dependent balance between H3O(+) and H5O2(+) core isomers

Although messenger mediated spectroscopy is a widely-used technique to study gas phase ionic species, effects of messengers themselves are not necessarily clear. In this study, we report infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H(2)O)(6)·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H(2), N(2), and CH(4)) in the OH stretch region to investigate messenger(M)-dependent cluster structures of the H(+)(H(2)O)(6) moiety. The H(+)(H(2)O)(6), the protonated water hexamer, is the smallest system in which both the H(3)O(+) (Eigen) and H(5)O(2)(+) (Zundel) hydrated proton motifs coexist. All the spectra show narrower band widths reflecting reduced internal energy (lower vibrational temperature) in comparison with bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). The Xe-, CH(4)-, and N(2)-mediated spectra show additional band features due to the relatively strong perturbation of the messenger. The observed band patterns in the Ar-, Kr-, Xe-, N(2)-, and CH(4)-mediated spectra are attributed mainly to the "Zundel" type isomer, which is more stable. On the other hand, the Ne- and H(2)-mediated spectra are accounted for by a mixture of the "Eigen" and "Zundel" types, like that of bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). These results suggest that a messenger sometimes imposes unexpected isomer-selectivity even though it has been thought to be inert. Plausible origins of the isomer-selectivity are also discussed.     

Argon predissociation spectroscopy of the OH-.H2O and Cl-.H2O complexes in the 1000-1900 cm(-1) region: intramolecular bending transitions and the search for the shared-proton fundamental in the hydroxide monohydrate

We present argon predissociation vibrational spectra of the OH(-).H(2)O and Cl(-).H(2)O complexes in the 1000-1900 cm(-1) energy range, far below the OH stretching region reported in previous studies. This extension allows us to explore the fundamental transitions of the intramolecular bending vibrations associated with the water molecule, as well as that of the shared proton inferred from previous assignments of overtones in the higher energy region. Although the water bending fundamental in the Cl(-).H(2)O spectrum is in very good agreement with expectations, the OH(-).H(2)O spectrum is quite different than anticipated, being dominated by a strong feature at 1090 cm(-1). New full-dimensionality calculations of the OH(-).H(2)O vibrational level structure using diffusion Monte Carlo and the VSCF/CI methods indicate this band arises from excitation of the shared proton.     

An H/D isotopic substitution study of the H5O2+.Ar vibrational predissociation spectra: exploring the putative role of Fermi resonances in the bridging proton fundamentals

To clarify the nature of the motions contributing to the observed multiplet structures in the low-energy (900-1800 cm-1) vibrational spectrum of the H5O2+ "Zundel" ion, we report the evolution of its vibrational fingerprint with sequential H/D isotopic substitution in a predissociation study of the Ar complexes. Of particular interest is the D4HO2+ complex, which displays a single intense band in the vicinity of the asymmetric OHO stretch of the bridging proton, in contrast to the more complex multiplet observed for both H5O2+ and D5O2+ isotopologues. These intensity patterns are consistent with the recent assignment of the bridging proton band's doublet in the H5O2+.Ne spectrum to a 2 x 2 Fermi resonance interaction between the shared proton stretch and a complex background level primarily derived from the O-O stretch together with two quanta of the wagging vibration involving the pyramidal deformations of the flanking H2O groups (Vendrell, O.; Gatti, F.; Meyer, H.-D. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 6918). In addition, the observed trends rule out assignment of the approximately 1800 cm-1 feature in H5O2+ to a combination band of the bridging proton vibration with the O-O stretch, providing a secure foundation for the previously reported scheme that attributes this band to the out-of-phase intramolecular bending fundamental. The observed feature occurs at an unusually high energy for typical HOH bends, however, and we explore the participation of the bridging proton in these eigenstates by following how the calculated harmonic spectrum evolves when artificially large masses are assigned to the proton. The empirical assignments are supported by anharmonic estimates of the isotope shifts evaluated by the diffusion Monte Carlo method.     

Infrared spectra of the OH+ and H2O+ cations solvated in solid argon

Infrared spectra of various OH+ and H2O+ isotopomers solvated in solid argon are presented. The OH+ and H2O+ cations were produced by co-deposition of H2O/Ar mixture with high-frequency discharged Ar at 4 K. Detailed isotopic substitution studies confirm the assignments of absorptions at 3054.9 and 3040.0 cm(-1) to the antisymmetric and symmetric H-O-H stretching vibrations of H2O+ and 2979.6 cm(-1) to the O-H stretching vibration of OH+. The frequencies of H2O+ solvated in solid argon are red-shifted, whereas the frequency of OH+ is blue-shifted with respect to the gas-phase fundamentals. On the basis of previous gas-phase studies and quantum chemical calculations, the OH+ and H2O+ cations solvated in solid argon may be regarded as the OH+-Ar5 and H2O+-Ar4 complexes isolated in the argon matrix.     

Eigen and Zundel forms of small protonated water clusters: structures and infrared spectra

The spectral properties of protonated water clusters, especially the difference between Eigen (H3O+) and Zundel (H5O2+) conformers and the difference between their unhydrated and dominant hydrated forms are investigated with the first principles molecular dynamics simulations as well as with the high level ab initio calculations. The vibrational modes of the excess proton in H3O+ are sensitive to the hydration, while those in H5O2+ are sensitive to the messenger atom such as Ar (which was assumed to be weakly bound to the water cluster during acquisitions of experimental spectra). The spectral feature around approximately 2700 cm-1 (experimental value: 2665 cm-1) for the Eigen moiety appears when H3O+ is hydrated. This feature corresponds to the hydrating water interacting with H3O+, so it cannot appear in the Eigen core. Thus, H3O+ alone would be somewhat different from the Eigen forms in water. For the Zundel form (in particular, H5O2+), there have been some differences in spectral features among different experiments as well as between experiments and theory. When an Ar messenger atom is introduced at a specific temperature corresponding to the experimental condition, the calculated vibrational spectra for H5O2+.Ar are in good agreement with the experimental infrared spectra showing the characteristic Zundel frequency at approximately 1770 cm-1. Thus, the effect of hydration, messenger atom Ar, and temperature are crucial to elucidating the nature of vibrational spectra of Eigen and Zundel forms and to assigning the vibrational modes of small protonated water clusters.     

Intermolecular proton binding in the presence of a large electric dipole: Ar-tagged vibrational predissociation spectroscopy of the CH3CN x H+ x OH2 and CH3CN x D+ x OD2 complexes

We report Ar-predissociation vibrational spectra of the binary proton-bound hydrates of acetonitrile (AN), AN x H(+) x OH(2) and AN x D(+) x OD(2), in the 600-3800 cm(-1) energy range. This complex was specifically chosen to explore the nature of the intermolecular proton bond when there is a large difference between the electric dipole moments of the two tethered molecules. Sharp, isotope-dependent bands in the vicinity of 1000 cm(-1) are traced to AN x H(+) x OH(2) vibrations involving the parallel displacement of the shared proton along the heavy atom axis, nu(sp)(parallel). These transitions lie much lower in energy than anticipated by a recently reported empirical trend which found the nu(sp)(parallel) fundamentals to be strongly correlated with the difference in proton affinities (DeltaPA) between the two tethered molecules (Roscioli et al., Science, 2007, 316, 249). The different behavior of the AN x H(+) x OH(2) complex is discussed in the context of the recent theoretical prediction (Fridgen, J. Phys. Chem A., 2006, 110, 6122) that a large disparity in dipole moments would lead to such a deviation from the reported (DeltaPA) trend.     

Predissociation spectroscopy of the argon-solvated H5O2+ "zundel" cation in the 1000-1900 cm(-1) region

Predissociation spectra of the H5O2+.Ar(1,2) cluster ions are reported in the 1000-1900 cm(-1) region. The weakly bound argon atoms enable investigation of the complex in a linear action mode, and the resulting spectra are much simpler than those reported previously in this region [Asmis et al., Science 299, 1375 (2003) and Fridgen et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 108, 9008 (2004)], which were obtained using infrared multiphoton dissociation of the bare complex. The observed spectrum consists of two relatively narrow bands at 1080 and 1770 cm(-1) that are likely due to excitation of the shared proton and intramolecular bending vibrations of the two water molecules, respectively. The narrow linewidths and relatively small (60 cm(-1)) perturbation introduced by the addition of a second argon atom indicate that the basic "zundel" character of the H5O2+ ion survives upon complexation.     

Explicitly correlated coupled cluster calculations for the propargyl cation (H2C3H+) and related species

The vibrations of the propargyl cation (H(3)C(3)H(+)) have been studied by vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) calculations, using explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory at the CCSD(T*)-F12a level to determine the underlying 12-dimensional potential energy surface. The wavenumbers of the fundamental vibrations are predicted with an accuracy of ca. 5 cm(-1). Harmonic wavenumber shifts for three different energy minima of the complex H(2)C(3)H(+)·Ar are combined with the corresponding VCI values in order to provide a comparison with recent infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra (A. M. Ricks et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2010, 132, 051101). An excellent agreement between experiment and theory is obtained for bands ν(2) (symm. CH stretch), ν(3) (pseudoantisymm. CC stretch), and ν(4) (CH(2) scissoring). However, reassignments are suggested for the bands observed at 3238 cm(-1), the "doublets" around 3093 and 1111 cm(-1), and the band at 3182 cm(-1). The assignment of the latter to the asymmetric CH stretching vibration of c-C(3)H·Ar is certainly wrong; the combination tone ν(3) + ν(5) of H(2)C(3)H(+)·Ar is a more likely candidate. Furthermore, accurate proton affinities are predicted for the carbenes H(2)C(n) with n = 3-8, thereby providing data of interest for interstellar cloud chemistry.     

Investigation of the dominant hydration structures among the ionic species in aqueous solution: novel quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations combined with the theory of energy representation

In the present work, we have performed quantum chemical calculations to determine preferable species among the ionic complexes that are present in ambient water due to the autodissociation of water molecule. First, we have formulated the relative population of the hydrated complexes with respect to the bare ion (H(3)O(+) or OH(-)) in terms of the solvation free energies of the relevant molecules. The solvation free energies for various ionic species (H(3)O(+), H(5)O(2) (+), H(7)O(3) (+), H(9)O(4) (+) or OH(-), H(3)O(2) (-), H(5)O(3) (-), H(7)O(4) (-), H(9)O(5) (-)), categorized as proton or hydroxide ion in solution, have been computed by employing the QM/MM-ER method recently developed by combining the quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach with the theory of energy representation (ER). Then, the computed solvation free energies have been used to evaluate the ratio of the populations of the ionic complexes to that of the bare ion (H(3)O(+) or OH(-)). Our results suggest that the Zundel form, i.e., H(5)O(2) (+), is the most preferable in the solution among the cationic species listed above though the Eigen form (H(9)O(4) (+)) is very close to the Zundel complex in the free energy, while the anionic fragment from water molecules mostly takes the form of OH(-). It has also been found that the loss of the translational entropy of water molecules associated with the formation of the complex plays a role in determining the preferable size of the cluster.     

IR spectrum of the H(5)O(2)(+) cation in the context of proton disolvates L-H(+)-L

The H(5)O(2)(+) ion has been studied in chlorocarbon, benzene, and weakly coordinating anion environments to bridge the gap between the gas-phase and traditional condensed-phase investigations. Symmetrical cations of the type [H(5)O(2)(+) x 4Solv] are formed via H-bonding with the terminal O-H groups. In the infrared spectrum, the nu(s)OH and nu(as)OH vibrations behave in a manner similar to those of common water molecules: the stronger is the H-bonding interaction with the surroundings, the lower is the frequency shift. A consistent pattern of IR bands from the central O-H(+)-O group is identified, regardless of the strength of the interaction of H(5)O(2)(+) with its environment. Three intense bands develop: a (860-995 cm-1), b (1045-1101 cm(-1)), and c (1672-1700 cm(-1)), as well as two weak bands, d ( approximately 1300 cm(-1)) and e ( approximately 1400-1500 cm(-1)). These fingerprint bands are highly characteristic for vibrations of O-H-O group irrespective of formal charge. They are seen in symmetrical proton disolvates of the type L-H(+)-L, where L is an O-atom donor (alcohol, ether, ketone, phosphate, etc.), and in [A-H-A](-) acid salts (A(-) = oxyanion). The commonality is equivalency of the two O-atoms, a short O...O distance (ca. 2.40 Angstrom), and a flat-bottomed potential well for the bridging proton, that is, a short, strong, low-barrier H-bond. Assignments for bands a-e are suggested in an attempt to resolve inconsistencies between experimental and calculated data.     

Vibrationally induced proton transfer in F- (H2O) and F- (D2O)

Vibrational predissociation spectra of the F(-)(H(2)O) x Ar and F(-)(D(2)O) x Ar complexes are observed over a range of 600 to 3800 cm(-1), which include bands attributed to the fundamentals as well as the first two overtones of the vibrations primarily associated with the shared hydrogen. This information allows us to characterize both the extended potential surface confining the anionic H-bonded hydrogen and the degree to which this motion is coupled to the motions of other atoms in the complex. We analyze these new data with reduced dimensional treatments using explicit potential energy and electric dipole moment surfaces. The often employed one-dimensional treatment with fixed OF distance does not even qualitatively account for the observed isotope dependent level structures, but a simple extension to two dimensions, corresponding to the OF distance and the shared proton position, accurately recovers the observed spectra. The resulting two-dimensional wave functions are used to evaluate the extent of proton transfer in each vibrational level. The main conclusion of this work is that vibrational excitation of the shared proton can be regarded as optically driven, intracluster proton transfer.     

Structure of protonated carbon dioxide clusters: infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

The infrared photodissociation spectra (IRPD) in the 700 to 4000 cm(-1) region are reported for H+ (CO2)n clusters (n = 1-4) and their complexes with argon. Weakly bound Ar atoms are attached to each complex upon cluster formation in a pulsed electric discharge/supersonic expansion cluster source. An expanded IRPD spectrum of the H+ (CO2)Ar complex, previously reported in the 2600-3000 cm(-1) range [Dopfer, O.; Olkhov, R.V.; Roth, D.; Maier, J.P. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1998, 296, 585-591] reveals new vibrational resonances. For n = 2 to 4, the vibrational resonances involving the motion of the proton are observed in the 750 to 1500 cm(-1) region of the spectrum, and by comparison to the predictions of theory, the structure of the small clusters are revealed. The monomer species has a nonlinear structure, with the proton binding to the lone pair of an oxygen. In the dimer, this nonlinear configuration is preserved, with the two CO2 units in a trans configuration about the central proton. Upon formation of the trimer, the core CO2 dimer ion undergoes a rearrangement, producing a structure with near C2v symmetry, which is preserved upon successive CO2 solvation. While the higher frequency asymmetric CO2 stretch vibrations are unaffected by the presence of the weakly attached Ar atom, the dynamics of the shared proton motions are substantially altered, largely due to the reduction in symmetry of each complex. For n = 2 to 4, the perturbation due to Ar leads to blue shifts of proton stretching vibrations that involve motion of the proton mostly parallel to the O-H+-O axis of the core ion. Moreover, proton stretching motions perpendicular to this axis exhibit smaller shifts, largely to the red. Ab initio (MP2) calculations of the structures, complexation energies, and harmonic vibrational frequencies are also presented, which support the assignments of the experimental spectra.     

Experimental infrared spectra of Cl-(ROH) (R = H, CH3, CH3CH2) complexes in the gas-phase

Infrared multiple photon dissociation spectra for the chloride ion solvated by either water, methanol or ethanol have been recorded using an FTICR spectrometer coupled to a free-electron laser, and are presented here along with assignments to the observed bands. The assignments made to the Cl(-)/H(2)O, Cl(-)(CH(3)OH), and Cl(-)(CH(3)CH(2)OH) spectra are based on comparison with the neutral H(2)O, CH(3)OH, and CH(3)CH(2)OH spectra, respectively. This work confirms that a band observed around 1400 cm(-1) in the Cl(-)(H(2)O) spectrum is not due to the Ar tag in Ar predissociation spectra. The carrier of this band is, most likely, the first overtone of the OHCl bend. Based on the position of the overtone in the IRMPD spectrum, 1375 cm(-1), the fundamental must occur very close to 700 cm(-1) and observation of this band should aid theoretical treatments of the spectrum of this complex. B3LYP/6-311++G(2df,2pd) calculations are shown to reproduce the IRMPD spectra of all three solvated chloride species. They also predict that attaching one or two Ar atoms to the Cl(-)(H(2)O) complex results in a shift of no more than a few wavenumbers in the fundamental bands for the bare complex, in agreement with previous experiment. For both alcohol-Cl(-) complexes, the S(N)2 "backside attack" isomers are not observed and Cl(-) is predicted theoretically, and confirmed experimentally, to be bound to the hydroxyl hydrogen. For Cl(-)(CH(3)CH(2)OH), the trans and gauche conformers are similar in energy, with the gauche conformer predicted to be thermodynamically favoured. The experimental infrared spectrum agrees well with that predicted for the gauche conformer but a mixture of gauche and anti conformers cannot be ruled out based on the experimental spectra nor on the computed thermochemistry.     

Tuning of the internal energy and isomer distribution in small protonated water clusters H(+)(H2O)(4-8): an application of the inert gas messenger technique

Infrared spectroscopy of gas-phase hydrated clusters provides us much information on structures and dynamics of water networks. However, interpretation of spectra is often difficult because of high internal energy (vibrational temperature) of clusters and coexistence of many isomers. Here we report an approach to vary these factors by using the inert gas (so-called "messenger")-mediated cooling technique. Protonated water clusters with a messenger (M), H(+)(H(2)O)(4-8)·M (M = Ne, Ar, (H(2))(2)), are formed in a molecular beam and probed with infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the OH stretch region. Observed spectra are compared with each other and with bare H(+)(H(2)O)(n). They show clear messenger dependence in their bandwidths and relative band intensities, reflecting different internal energy and isomer distribution, respectively. It is shown that the internal energy follows the order H(+)(H(2)O)(n) > H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·(H(2))(2) > H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·Ar > H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·Ne, while the isomer-selectivity, which changes the isomer distribution in the bare system, follows the order H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·Ar > H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·(H(2))(2) > H(+)(H(2)O)(n)·Ne ~ (H(+)(H(2)O)(n)). Although the origin of the isomer-selectivity is unclear, comparison among spectra measured with different messengers is very powerful in spectral analyses and makes it possible to easily assign spectral features of each isomer.     

Weak interactions in ion–ligand complexes of C3H3(+) isomers: competition between H-bound and C-bound structures in c-C3H3(+)·L and H2CCCH(+)·L (L = Ne, Ar, N2, CO2, and O2)

Explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory at the CCSD(T)-F12x level (T. B. Adler, G. Knizia, and H.-J. Werner, J. Chem. Phys.127, 221106, 2007) has been employed to study structures and vibrations of complexes of type c-C(3)H(3)(+)·L and H(2)C(3)H(+)·L (L = Ne, Ar, N(2), CO(2), and O(2)). Both cations have different binding sites, allowing for the formation of weak to moderately strong hydrogen bonds as well as "C-bound" or "π-bound" structures. In contrast to previous expectations, the energetically most favourable structures of all H(2)C(3)H(+)·L complexes investigated are "C-bound", with the ligand bound to the methylenic carbon atom. The theoretical predictions enable a more detailed interpretation of infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra than was possible hitherto. In particular, the bands observed in the range 3238-3245 cm(-1) (D. Roth and O. Dopfer, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.4, 4855, 2002) are assigned to essentially free acetylenic CH stretching vibrations of the propargyl cation in "C-bound" H(2)C(3)H(+)·L complexes.     

HCl hydrates as model systems for protonated water

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are presented of vibrational dynamics and spectra of crystal HCl hydrates. Depending on the composition, the hydrates include distinct protonated water forms, which in their equilibrium structures approximate either the Eigen ion H3O+(H2O)3 (in the hexahydrate) or the Zundel H2O...H+...OH2 ion (in the di- and trihydrate). Thus, the hydrates offer the opportunity to study spectra and dynamics of distinct species of protonated water trapped in a semirigid solvating environment. The experimentally measured spectra are reproduced quite well by BLYP/DZVP-level calculations employing Fourier transform of the system dipole. The large overall width (800-1000 cm-1) of structured proton bands reflects a broad range of solvating environments generated by crystal vibrations. The aqueous HCl solution was also examined in search of an objective criterion for separating the contributions of "Zundel-like" and "Eigen-like" protonated forms. It is suggested that no such criterion exists since distributions of proton-related structural properties appear continuous and unimodal. Dipole derivatives with respect to OH and O...H+ stretches in water and protonated water were also investigated to advance the understanding of the corresponding IR intensities. The effects of H bonding and solvation on the intensities were analyzed with the help of the Wannier centers' representation of electron density.     

IR plus vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy of neutral and ionic organic acid molecules and clusters: acetic acid

Infrared (IR) vibrational spectroscopy of acetic acid (A) neutral and ionic monomers and clusters, employing vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), 10.5 eV single photon ionization of supersonically expanded and cooled acetic acid samples, is presented and discussed. Molecular and cluster species are identified by time of flight mass spectroscopy: the major mass features observed are A(n)H(+) (n=1-9), ACOOH(+) (VUV ionization) without IR radiation present, and A(+) with both IR and VUV radiation present. The intense feature ACOOH(+) arises from the cleavage of (A)(2) at the beta-CC bond to generate ACOOH(+)+CH(3) following ionization. The vibrational spectrum of monomeric acetic acid (2500-7500 cm(-1)) is measured by nonresonant ionization detected infrared (NRID-IR) spectroscopy. The fundamentals and overtones of the CH and OH stretches and some combination bands are identified in the spectrum. Mass selected IR spectra of neutral and cationic acetic acid clusters are measured in the 2500-3800 cm(-1) range employing nonresonant ionization dip-IR and IR photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopies, respectively. Characteristic bands observed at approximately 2500-2900 cm(-1) for the cyclic ring dimer are identified and tentatively assigned. For large neutral acetic acid clusters A(n)(n>2), spectra display only hydrogen bonded OH stretch features, while the CH modes (2500-2900 cm(-1)) do not change with cluster size n. The IRPD spectra of protonated (cationic) acetic acid clusters A(n)H(+) (n=1-7) exhibit a blueshift of the free OH stretch with increasing n. These bands finally disappear for n> or =6, and one broad and weak band due to hydrogen bonded OH stretch vibrations at approximately 3350 cm(-1) is detected. These results indicate that at least one OH group is not involved in the hydrogen bonding network for the smaller (n< or =5) A(n)H(+) species. The disappearance of the free OH stretch feature at n> or =6 suggests that closed cyclic structures form for A(n)H(+) for the larger clusters (n> or =6).     

Proton hydration in aqueous solution: Fourier transform infrared studies of HDO spectra

This paper attempts to elucidate the number and nature of the hydration spheres around the proton in an aqueous solution. This phenomenon was studied in aqueous solutions of selected acids by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of semiheavy water (HDO), isotopically diluted in H(2)O. The quantitative version of difference spectrum procedure was applied for the first time to investigate such systems. It allowed removal of bulk water contribution and separation of the spectra of solute-affected HDO. The obtained spectral data were confronted with ab initio calculated structures of small gas-phase and polarizable continuum model (PCM) solvated aqueous clusters, H+(H2O)n, n=2-8, in order to help in establishing the structural and energetic states of the consecutive hydration spheres of the hydrated proton. This was achieved by comparison of the calculated optimal geometries with the interatomic distances derived from HDO band positions. The structure of proton hydration shells outside the first hydration sphere essentially follows the model structure of other hydrated cations, previously revealed by affected HDO spectra. The first hydration sphere complex in diluted aqueous solutions was identified as an asymmetric variant of the regular Zundel cation [The Hydrogen Bond: Recent Developments in Theory and Experiments, edited by P. Schuster, G. Zundel, and C. Sandorfy (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1976), Vol. II, p. 683], intermediate between the ideal Zundel and Eigen structures [E. Wicke et al., Z. Phys. Chem. Neue Folge 1, 340 (1954)]. Evidence was found for the existence of strong and short hydrogen bonds, with oxygen-oxygen distance derived from the experimental affected spectra equal 2.435 A on average and in the PCM calculations about 2.41-2.44 A. It was also evidenced for the first time that the proton possesses four well-defined hydration spheres, which were characterized in terms of hydrogen bonds' lengths and arrangements. Additionally, an outer hydration layer, shared with the anion, as well as loosely bound water molecules interacting with free electron pairs of the central complex were detected in the affected spectra.     

Spectroscopic identification of oxonium and carbenium ions of protonated phenol in the gas phase: IR spectra of weakly bound C6H7O+ -L dimers (L = Ne, Ar, N2)

Structural isomers of isolated protonated phenol (C(6)H(7)O(+)) are characterized by infrared (IR) photodissociation spectroscopy of their weakly bound complexes with neutral ligands L (L = Ne, Ar, N(2)). IR spectra of C(6)H(7)O(+)-L recorded in the vicinity of the O-H and C-H stretch fundamentals carry unambiguous signatures of at least two C(6)H(7)O(+) isomers: the identified protonation sites of phenol include the O atom (oxonium ion, O-C(6)H(7)O(+)) and the C atoms of the aromatic ring in the ortho and/or para position (carbenium ions, o/p-C(6)H(7)O(+)). In contrast, protonation at the meta and ipso positions is not observed. The most stable C(6)H(7)O(+)-L dimer structures feature intermolecular H-bonds between L and the OH groups of O-C(6)H(7)O(+) and o/p-C(6)H(7)O(+). Extrapolation to zero solvation interaction yields reliable experimental vibrational frequencies of bare O-C(6)H(7)O(+) and o/p-C(6)H(7)O(+). The interpretation of the C(6)H(7)O(+)-L spectra, as well as the extrapolated monomer frequencies, is supported by B3LYP and MP2 calculations using the 6-311G(2df,2pd) basis. The spectroscopic and theoretical results elucidate the effect of protonation on the structural properties of phenol and provide a sensitive probe of the activating and ortho/para directing nature of the OH group observed in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions.