Structural and Infrared Spectroscopic Study on Solvation of Acetylene by Protonated Water Molecules

The effect of solvation on the conformation of acetylene has been studied by adding one water molecule at a time. Quantum chemical calculations of the H⁺(C₂H₂)(H₂O)_n (n=1-5) clusters indicate that the H₂O molecules prefer to form the OH…π interaction rather than the CH…O interaction. This solvation motif is different from that of neutral (C₂H₂)(H₂O)_n (n=1-4) clusters, in which the H₂O molecules prefer to form the CH…O and OH…C H-bonds. For the H⁺(C₂H₂)(H₂O)_n cationic clusters, the first solvation shell consists of one ring structure with two OH…π H-bonds and three water molecules, which is completed at n=4. Simulated infrared spectra reveal that vibrational frequencies of OH…π H-bonded O-H stretching afford a sensitive probe for exploring the solvation of acetylene by protonated water molecules. Infrared spectra of the H⁺(C₂H₂)(H₂O)_n(n=1-5) clusters could be readily measured by the infrared photodissociation technique and thus provide useful information for the understanding of solvation processes.