The structure of the H3O+ hydronium ion in benzene

Infrared, X-ray structural, 1H NMR, and computational evidence for pi-solvation of H3O+ by benzene molecules is presented. A salt with a discrete [H3O.3benzene]+ cation can be isolated using a very weakly interacting carborane counterion, CHB11Cl11-. pi-Arene solvation of H3O+ explains the solubility of this salt in benzene solution. Similar results are indicated for the "Zundel-type" H5O2+ ion. These findings suggest structures for the active protonating species when strong acids are used as catalysts in arene solvents containing trace water. They are also relevant to structures that may be present in biological proton transport.     

The tetramethylammonium ion (TMA+) versus the hydronium ion (H3O+) as internal reference for 1H NMR measurements in superacid media. Solute–solvent interactions

It is shown that the chemical shift of the generally utilized internal reference for ¹H NMR measurements in superacid media, namely, tetramethylammonium bromide, which is normally fixed at 3.10 ppm from external TMS, changes with the composition of the acid mixture (HF or HSO₃F:SbF₅). This is attributed to solute–solvent interactions. The use of both the tetramethylammonium ion or the hydronium ion as internal references is discussed, as the hydronium ion appears to be only slightly influenced by these interactions.     

The structure of the H3O+ (hydronium) ion

Near Hartree-Fock level ab initio molecular orbital calculations on H₃O⁺ and a minimum energy structure with θ(HOH) = 112.5° and r(OH) = 0.963 Å and an inversion barrier of 1.9 kcal/mole. By comparing these results to calculations on NH₃ and H₂O, where precise experimental geometries are known, we estimate the “true” geometry of isolated H₃O⁺ to have a structure with θ(HOH) = 110-112°, r(OH) = 0.97–0.98 Å and an inversion barrier of 2–3 kcal/mole. Our prediction for the proton affinity of water is ≈ 170 kcal/mole, which is somewhat smaller than the currently accepted value.     

Supersonically cooled hydronium ions in a slit-jet discharge: high-resolution infrared spectroscopy and tunneling dynamics of HD2O+

Jet-cooled high-resolution infrared spectra of partially deuterated hydronium ion (HD2O+) in the O-H stretch region (nu3 band) are obtained for the first time, exploiting the high ion densities, long absorption path lengths, and concentration modulation capabilities of the slit-jet discharge spectrometer. Least-squares analysis with a Watson asymmetric top Hamiltonian yields rovibrational constants and provides high level tests of ab initio molecular structure predictions. Transitions out of both the lower (nu3(+)<--0(+)) and the upper (nu3(-)<--0(-)) tunneling levels, as well as transitions across the tunneling gap (nu3(-)<--0(+)) are observed. The nu3(-)<--0(+) transitions in HD2O+ acquire oscillator strength by loss of D(3h) symmetry, and permit both ground-state-[27.0318(72) cm(-1)] and excited-state-[17.7612(54) cm(-1)]-tunneling splittings to be determined to spectroscopic precision from a single rovibrational band. The splittings and band origins calculated with recent high level ab initio six-dimensional potential surface predictions for H3O+ and isotopomers [X. C. Huang, S. Carter, and J. M. Bowman, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 5431 (2003); T. Rajamaki, A. Miani, and L. Halonen, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 10929 (2003)] are in very good agreement with the current experimental results.     

Complexation of the [Rh(NH3)5H2O]3+ ion in aqueous solutions of H3PO4 based on 31P NMR data

The kinetics of the reaction between the [Rh(NH₃)₅H₂O]³⁺ ion and H₃PO₄ was studied by ³¹P NMR at 323?C343 K (E _a = 100.9 ± 0.3 kJ/mol, lnA = 35.7 ± 0.1). An empirical dependence of the ³¹P chemical shift on the equilibrium pH was found. The acid dissociation constants of the coordinated H₂PO ₄ ^? (3.9) and H PO ₄ ^2? ions (9.1) were estimated. The chemical shifts of the [Rh(NH₃)₅H₂PO₄]²⁺, [Rh(NH₃)₅HPO₄]⁺, and [Rh(NH₃)₅PO₄]⁰ complex ions were 8.38 ± 0.03, 10.76 ± 0.05, and 13.63 ± 0.05 ppm, respectively.     

The nature of the hydrated proton H(aq)+ in organic solvents

The nature of H(H2O)n(+) cations for n = 3-8 with weakly basic carborane counterions has been studied by IR spectroscopy in benzene and dichloroethane solution. Contrary to general expectation, neither Eigen-type H3O x 3 H2O(+) nor Zundel-type H5O2(+) x 4 H2O ions are present. Rather, the core species is the H7O3(+) ion.     

Full dimensional calculations of vibrational energies of H3O+ and D3O+

We report full dimensional calculations of vibrational energies of H3O+ and D3O+ using two implementations of the code MULTIMODE. In one implementation, the reference geometry is the minimum of the potential (the standard choice for MULTIMODE). This implementation is not able to readily describe splittings in the vibrational energies due to motion through the inversion barrier. A second implementation, in which the reference geometry is the inversion saddle point, is able to describe the splittings. These full dimensional calculations are done using the realistic, though not spectroscopically accurate, potential of Ojamae, Singer and Shavitt, and the results are compared with experiment.     

The importance of NO+ (H2O)4 in the conversion of NO+ (H2O)n to H3O+ (H2O)n: I. Kinetics measurements and statistical rate modeling

The kinetics for conversion of NO(+)(H(2)O)(n) to H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) has been investigated as a function of temperature from 150 to 400 K. In contrast to previous studies, which show that the conversion goes completely through a reaction of NO(+)(H(2)O)(3), the present results show that NO(+)(H(2)O)(4) plays an increasing role in the conversion as the temperature is lowered. Rate constants are derived for the clustering of H(2)O to NO(+)(H(2)O)(1-3) and the reactions of NO(+)(H(2)O)(3,4) with H(2)O to form H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(2,3), respectively. In addition, thermal dissociation of NO(+)(H(2)O)(4) to lose HNO(2) was also found to be important. The rate constants for the clustering increase substantially with the lowering of the temperature. Flux calculations show that NO(+)(H(2)O)(4) accounts for over 99% of the conversion at 150 K and even 20% at 300 K, although it is too small to be detectable. The experimental data are complimented by modeling of the falloff curves for the clustering reactions. The modeling shows that, for many of the conditions, the data correspond to the falloff regime of third body association.     

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry analyses of stable isotopes in water: Isotopic composition of H3O+ and H3O+(H2O)3 ions in exchange reactions with water vapor

A new method has been developed for the determination of the isotope abundance ratios of deuterium, D, and oxygen-18, 18O, in water vapor (and water) using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). H3O+ ions are injected into the helium carrier gas where they associate with the H2O and HDO molecules in a sample of water introduced into the carrier gas. The D and 18O contents of the product cluster ions H8DO4+ and H9(18)OO3+ at m/e = 74 and 75, respectively, are determined by reference to the majority cluster ion H9O4+ at m/e = 73. Allowance is made for the contribution of the H8(17)OO3+ ions to the m/z = 74 ions. Absolute isotopic ratios are measured within seconds without the need for precalibration of the SIFT-MS instrument, currently to an accuracy of better than 2%.     

Laser photoacoustic spectra of Sm3+ ion in Sm2O3 and SmCl3.6H2O in the spectral profile 484-542 nm

Microphone based photoacoustic (PA) spectrometer to study solids in powder form was designed and fabricated. Laser PA spectra of Sm3+ ion in Sm2O3 and SmCl3.6H2O microcrystalline powders were recorded first time in 484-542 nm spectral region at room temperature. Analysis of these PA spectra shows new information on the Stark components of ground and excited states of Sm3+ ion. A comparison of Stark energy levels of Sm3+ ion in both oxide and hexahydrated chloride hosts is presented here.     

Selected ion flow tube studies of the reactions of H3O+, NO+ and O2+ with the anaesthetic gases halothane,isoflurane and sevoflurane

We have carried out a study of the reactions of H(3)O(+), NO(+) and O(2) (+), the commonly used precursor ions for selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS), with three anaesthetic gases, halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane. The motivation for this study was to provide the necessary kinetic data that would allow the quantification of these anaesthetic gases in operating theatre air and in the breath of theatre staff and post-operative patients. A clear negative result from these experiments is that NO(+), although undergoing the simplest chemistry, is unsuitable for this SIFT-MS application. However, although the ion chemistry of H(3)O(+) and O(2) (+) with these compounds is very complex, there being several product ions in each reaction, many of which react rapidly with water molecules, monitor ions have been identified for all three anaesthetic gases when using H(3)O(+) and O(2) (+) as precursor ions. The detailed ion chemistry is discussed and the specific monitor ions are indicated. Hence, the feasibility of on-line breath monitoring is demonstrated by simple examples. These studies have opened the way to measurements in the clinical environment.     

Mean Force Potential between H3O+ and Cl– Ions in Molecular Water Clusters: 2. Stratospheric Conditions

The behavior of the free energy of the system was analyzed. The assumption of HCl ionization in water clusters as the most probable mechanism ensuring the observed high adsorbability of ice surface relative to HCl was confirmed. It was shown that the formation of clusters containing H₃O⁺, Cl^– ion pairs is an essentially kinetic process with the participation of natural ionization sources. The characteristic time of accumulation of ionized NCl was close (by an order of magnitude) to the seasonal changes of thermodynamic conditions in the stratosphere. A kinetic theory of this phenomenon was constructed, and estimates of the content of ionized component were made. Numerical values of the parameters of kinetic equations were calculated by the Monte Carlo method.     

Characterizing molecular motion in H2O and H3O+ with dynamical instability statistics

Sets of finite-time Lyapunov exponents characterize the stability and instability of classically chaotic dynamical trajectories. Here we show that their sample distributions can contain subpopulations identifying different types of dynamics. In small isolated molecules these dynamics correspond to distinct elementary motions, such as isomerizations. Exponents are calculated from constant total energy molecular dynamics simulations of H(2)O and H(3)O(+), modelled with a classical, reactive, all-atom potential. Over a range of total energy, exponent distributions for these systems reveal that phase space exploration is more chaotic near saddles corresponding to isomerization and less chaotic near potential energy minima. This finding contrasts with previous results for Lennard-Jones clusters, and is explained in terms of the potential energy landscape.     

Comparison of the kinetics of cathodic H2 evolution from the unhydrated H3O+ ion and its hydrated form H9O: Frequency factor effects and modes of activation

Experiments are described in which the kinetics of cathodic hydrogen evolution from the unhydrated H₃O⁺ ion in pure CF₃SO H₃O⁺ are compared with those from an aqueous solution of CF₃SO₃H where the proton is mainly in a fully hydrated state as H₉O. From the acid hydrate, which exists mainly as the ionic compound CF₃SOH₃O⁺, rates of H₂ evolution at Ni, Pt, and Hg electrodes, measured at a given overpotential or expressed as exchange current densities, are between about 3.5 and 20 times slower than those from the same electrolyte in dilute (1.0M) aqueous solution. Allowing for the concentration differences in these two types of system and double-layer effects, the rate constants are between about 9.4 and 216 times smaller for the reaction from H₃O⁺ than from H₉O at the above electrodes. The evaluation of apparent heats of activation for H₂ evolution from the two types of proton sources allows ratios of real frequency factors to be calculated for discharge from H₃O⁺ and H₉O. These data have a bearing on the theoretical conclusions regarding proton discharge mechanisms and show that frequency factor effects can be as important as activation energy differences in determining the rates of proton discharge from different proton sources. The results are discussed in terms of current ideas about electron and proton transfer in electrochemical reactions, the state of hydration of H⁺, and the role of discharge from paired CF₃SO and H₃O⁺ ions. In particular, the molecular mechanics of discharge of the proton from the molecular ion H₃O⁺ can be different from that from the fully hydrated H⁺ ion where many more HO- vibrational and librational modes can be involved in the process of activation of the H₉O entity.     

Fundamental excitations of the shared proton in the H3O2- and H5O2+ complexes

We exploit recent advances in argon predissociation spectroscopy to record the spectroscopic signature of the shared proton oscillations in the H3O2- system and compare the resulting spectrum with that of the H5O2+ ion taken under similar conditions. Very intense 1 <-- 0 transitions are observed below 1100 cm(-1) in both cases and are surprisingly sharp, with the 697 cm(-1) transition in H3O2- being among the lowest in energy of any shared proton system measured to date. The assignments of the three fundamental transitions associated with the three-dimensional confinement of the shared proton in H3O2- are carried out with full-dimensional (DMC) calculations to treat this strongly anharmonic vibrational problem.     

Jet cooled spectroscopy of H2DO+: Barrier heights and isotope-dependent tunneling dynamics from H3O+ to D3O+

The first high resolution spectroscopic data for jet cooled H2DO+ are reported, specifically via infrared laser direct absorption in the OH stretching region with a slit supersonic jet discharge source. Transitions sampling upper (0-) and lower (0+) tunneling states for both symmetric (nu1+ <-- 0+, nu1- <-- 0-, and nu1- <-- 0+) and antisymmetric (nu3+ <-- 0+ and nu3- <-- 0-) OH stretching bands are observed, where +/- refers to wave function reflection symmetry with respect to the planar umbrella mode transition state. The spectra can be well fitted to a Watson asymmetric top Hamiltonian, revealing band origins and rotational constants for benchmark comparison with high-level ab initio theory. Of particular importance are detection and assignment of the relatively weak band (nu1- <-- 0+) that crosses the inversion tunneling gap, which is optically forbidden in H3O+ or D3O+, but weakly allowed in H2DO+ by lowering of the tunneling transition state symmetry from D(3h) to C(2v). In conjunction with other H2DO+ bands, this permits determination of the tunneling splittings to within spectroscopic precision for each of the ground [40.518(10) cm(-1)], nu1 = 1 [32.666(6) cm(-1)], and nu3 = 1 [25.399(11) cm(-1)] states. A one-dimensional zero-point energy corrected potential along the tunneling coordinate is constructed from high-level ab initio CCSD(T) calculations (AVnZ, n = 3,4,5) and extrapolated to the complete basis set limit to extract tunneling splittings via a vibrationally adiabatic treatment. Perturbative scaling of the potential to match splittings for all four isotopomers permits an experimental estimate of DeltaV0 = 652.9(6) cm(-1) for the tunneling barrier, in good agreement with full six-dimensional ab initio results of Rajamaki, Miani, and Halonen (RMH) [J. Chem. Phys. 118, 10929 (2003)]. (DeltaV0 (RMH) = 650 cm(-1)). The 30%-50% decrease in tunneling splitting observed upon nu1 and nu3 vibrational excitations arises from an increase in OH stretch frequencies at the planar transition state, highlighting the transition between sp2 and sp3 hybridizations of the OHD bonds as a function of inversion bending angle.     

SCF MO LCGO studies on the hydration of ions: The systems H+H2O,Li+H2O,and Na+H2O

The energy surfaces of the systems LiOH ₂ ⁺ and NaOH ₂ ⁺ are studied for a number of different geometries within the SCF MO LCAO framework, using a gaussian basis set to approximate the wavefunction. In the minimum energy geometry of both systems the positive ion is bound to the oxygen atom of the water molecule. The computed binding energies and bond distances are: B ^SCF(LiOH ₂ ⁺ ) = 36.0 kcal/mole, d(LiO) = 3.57 a.u., and B ^SCF(NaOH ₂ ⁺ ) = 25.2 kcal/mole, d(NaO) = 4.23 a.u., resp. The results are compared with those of H₃O⁺ and discussed in view of ion-solvent interaction in aquous solutions.It is a pleasure to thank our technical staff for the careful preparation of the input for the programs and for its enthusiastic and skilful assistance in running the computer.     

Optical constants of HNO3/H2O and H2SO4/HNO3/H2O at low temperatures in the infrared region

The complex index of refraction of liquid HNO3/H2O and H2SO4/HNO3/H2O has been obtained at different temperatures and acid concentrations. FT-IR specular reflectance spectra were obtained for 30, 54, and 64 wt % aqueous HNO3 and for four different H2SO4/HNO3/H2O mixtures in the temperature region from 293 to 183 K. The complex index of refraction was obtained from the reflectance spectra with the Kramers-Kronig transformation. The optical constants of the binary and ternary mixtures vary with the acid concentration and the temperature. The results demonstrate that vibrational bands originating from the sulfate species are more sensitive to changes in temperature than the bands originating from vibrations in the nitrate species; only minor changes in the nitrate vibrational bands are observed as the temperature decreases below 248 K.