Proton magnetic relaxation study of water orientation around I− and Li+

Proton relaxation time measurements are performed for 6m aqueous solutions of⁷LiI and⁶LiI in D₂O containing small amounts of H₂O. The measurements are done at low temperatures and yield maxima of the relaxation rate plotted against 1/T. From the maxima of the relaxation rates, proteon-I^– and proton-Li⁺ distances in the first coordination sphere of the ions are determined, and from the knowledge of the ion-water oxygen distance it is shown that for iodide a somewhat broadened H-bonded configuration is valid and that for Li⁺ the electric dipole orientation deviates from the radial direction. In order to test the reliability of the method a proton-¹²⁷I interaction study is also performed in KI solution in glycerol. The I-H distance obtained is in satisfactory agreement with that found in the aqueous system.