A model of single-electron transport. Calculation of the thermodynamic parameters for electron capture by the bound proton of oxyacids

Electron transfer is an elementary chemical event involved in many biochemical reactions. Experiments have shown that some oxyacids participating in electron transport are capable of dissociative capture of low-energy electrons, a process indicative of the formation of a metastable anion. The present work reports the results of quantum-chemical simulations of the dissociative electron attachment to a number of oxyacids (H₃PO₄, H₂SO₄⁻, HPO₄²⁻, H₂SO₄, HSO₄⁻, B(OH)₄⁻, HCOOH) with formation of a hydrogen atom in vacuum and in the aqueous medium. Phosphate is one of the most important building units of biological molecules, whereas formic acid can serve as a model of the −COOH group in amino acids, carboxylic acids, functional sites of enzymes, etc. The electron affinity of these oxyacids in the aquatic environment is positive and exceeds the energy of hydrogen atom abstraction. The proton of the OH group captures the electron, while the aquatic environment stabilizes it in the trapped state due to its polarizability. The data obtained provide a fresh look at the phenomenon of proton-assisted electron transfer and at the use of oxyacid buffers.     

Measurements of the temperature and water vapor concentration in a hot zone by tunable diode laser absorption spectrometry

A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) technique and appropriate instrumentation was developed for the measurement of temperature and water vapor concentrations in heated gases. The technique is based on the detection of the spectra of H₂O absorption lines with different energies of low levels. The following absorption lines of H₂O were used: 7189.344 cm⁻¹ (E″=142 cm⁻¹), 7189.541 cm⁻¹ (E″=1255 cm⁻¹), 7189.715 cm⁻¹ (E″=2005 cm⁻¹). Spectra were recorded using fast frequency scanning of a single distributed feedback (DFB) laser. A unique differential scheme for the recording of the absorption spectra was developed. An optimal technique for fitting the experimental spectra was developed.     

Interaction of chloride ions with water clusters absorbing ozone: A computer experiment

The molecular dynamics method is used to investigate the interaction of two, four, and six chloride ions with (H₂O)₅₀, clusters absorbing six ozone molecules. Chloride ions moving toward the cluster penetrate into it. The presence of ozone increases the residence time of Cl⁻ ions in the cluster. The duration of the perturbation increases with the number of Cl⁻ ions surrounding the 6O₃ + (H₂O)₅₀ system. The interaction with Cl⁻ ions enhances the positional disorder of the molecules in the system and enhances the intensity of absorption and emission of infrared radiation. These changes, however, are not monotonic function of the number of ions perturbing the system. As a result of the interaction with Cl⁻ ions, the integrated intensity of the Raman scattering on the (O₃)₆(H₂O)₅₀ cluster in the frequency range 0 ≤ ω ≤ 1100 cm⁻¹ is significantly lower and the number of peaks in the spectrum is smaller.     

Spectral characteristics of water clusters in the interaction with ozone molecules and bromide ions

The molecular dynamics method is used to study the interaction of the (Br⁻) _i (H₂O)_{50 − i} clusters in a medium of water vapor with ozone molecules. The clusters absorb O₃ molecules and retain them, along with Br⁻ ions, for a 25-ps-long calculation procedure. The presence of bromide ions results in significant increases in the values of the real and imaginary parts of the relative permittivity. The addition of bromide ions causes a significant increase in the integrated IR radiation absorption intensities and in the radiant power emitted by the clusters. The addition of Br⁻ ions only slightly affects the intensity of the Raman spectra until the number of Br⁻ reaches six, when a dramatic decrease of the integrated intensity of this spectrum occurs. Bromide ions absorbed by water clusters produce a much more lasting impact on the ozone molecules trapped by the cluster than chlorine ions do, all other things being equal.     

Conversion of ortho-para H2O isomers in water and a jump in erythrocyte fluidity through a microcapillary at a temperature of 36.6±0.3°C

A mechanism is proposed for the previously observed [1] jump in erythrocyte fluidity through a microcapillary 1.3 μm in diameter at a temperature of 36.6±0.3°C. Our interpretation is based on the experimental evidence both for existence of ortho and para H₂O isomers in water and on spin-selective interaction of proteins with para H₂O isomers as hydration shells of biomolecules are being formed [2]. It is important that the formation of hydration shells of proteins and DNA in aqueous solutions is accompanied by an increase in the Brillouin shift to 0.4 cm⁻1 (≃0.25 cm⁻¹ in water), which points to the formation of icelike structures. We believe that the coincidence of the translational energy kT of the Brownian motion and the energy of the rotational quanta for the 3₁₃–2₀₂ transition of para H₂O isomers at the temperature 36.6°C increases the probability for excitation of para H₂O isomers in collisions. Collisions mix quantum states of closely spaced levels in para H₂O (3₁₃, 285.2 cm⁻¹) and ortho H₂O (3₃₀, 285.4 cm⁻¹) and induce conversion of para isomers to ortho H₂O. It is assumed that this conversion in the icelike hydration shell of hemoglobin (Hb) is accelerated under the catalyzing effect of oxygen and iron present in Hb and triggers a chain reaction: release of ortho H₂O isomers through the erythrocyte membrane→compaction of Hb molecules and increase in concentration of catalysts→acceleration of conversion→structural gel-sol transition. It is the sequence of these processes that provides a jump in fluidity of erythrocytes through a microcapillary and the anomalous increase in fluidity of the aqueous solution of hemoglobin by almost an order of magnitude at temperatures close to 36.6°C and an increase in the solution concentration by a factor of 1.7.     

Reactions and anion desorption induced by low-energy electron exposure of condensed acetonitrile

Thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) are employed to investigate mechanisms responsible for the formation of C₂H₆ in electron irradiated multilayer films of acetonitrile (CH₃CN) at 30 K. Using a high sensitivity time-of-flight mass spectrometer, we observe the ESD of anionic fragments H⁻, CH₂ ⁻, CH₃ ⁻ and CN⁻. Desorption occurs following dissociative electron attachment (DEA) via several negative ion resonances in the 6 to 14 eV energy range and correlates well with a “resonant” structure seen in the TDS yield of C₂H₆ (i.e., at mass 30 amu). It is proposed that C₂H₆ is formed by the reactions of CH₃ radicals generated following DEA to CH₃CN which also yields CN⁻. Between 2 and 5 eV, a second resonant feature is seen in the C₂H₆ signal. While DEA is observed in the gas phase at these energies, no anion desorption occurs since anionic fragments likely have insufficient kinetic energy to desorb. Since the CH₂ ⁻ ion has not been observed in gas-phase measurements, we propose that it is formed, along with HCN (that is detected in TDS) when dissociation into CH₃ ⁻ and CN is hindered by adjacent molecules.     

Ion-molecular interactions in solutions of methanesulfonic acid in diethylamine according to IR spectroscopy data

The methanesulfonic acid (MSA)-diethylamine (DEA) binary liquid system is studied over the entire range of compositions at 30°C by using multiple frustrated total internal reflection IR spectroscopy. Solutions with acid: base equimolar ratio contain only 1 : 1 ion pairs. Upon adding the acid, a MSA molecule abstracts an anion from the 1 : 1 complex to produce a protonated DEA and an (H₃C(O₂)SO…H…OS(O₂)CH₃)⁻ anion with a strong H bond: (C₂H₅)₂(H)NH⁺ · OS(O₂)CH₃⁻ + HOS(O₂)CH₃ ↔ (C₂H₅)₂(H)NH⁺ + (H₃C(O₂)SO…H…OS(O₂)CH₃)⁻. This equilibrium is shifted to the left. The 1 : 1 complex is present in solutions even at an significant excess of the acid. To protonate the complex, it is required at least two MSA molecules. Under conditions of an excess of the base, DEA molecules do not solvate the 1 : 1 complex. The solution separates into two phases, composed of (C₂H₅)₂(H)NH⁺ · OS(O₂)CH₃⁻ complexes and pure DEA.     

Dependence of the Electronic Spectra of the Chlorin Molecule on the Degree of Alternation of the Macrocycle Bond Lengths

The geometric structure of the chlorin molecule (H₂Ch) has been calculated by the restricted and unrestricted Hartree-Fock (RHF and UHF) methods with an AM1 Hamiltonian. Transformations of this molecule into excited electronic states have been calculated by the CNDO/S method. The RHF method without symmetry restrictions gives a plane structure for the chlorin macrocycle with an alternation of the lengths of the bonds along the 18-member azacyclopolyene and a C_1h symmetry for the molecule as a whole. The level of the first excited state Q₁ of this structure is substantially shifted (δ ≅ +4000 cm⁻¹) relative to the Q_x level of porphin (H₂P) toward shorter waves, which is in contradiction with the experimental data, according to which this shift is long-wave and is equal to δ = −400 to −550 cm⁻¹. The optimization of the geometry of H₂Ch by the UHF method has shown that it has a structure with an 18-member azacyclopolyene with bonds of equal lengths and a D_2h symmetry. For this geometry of H₂Ch the calculated shift of the Q_x level, equal to δ = −70 cm⁻¹, is bathochromic and the position of the Q_y level is practically exactly coincident with the experimental one. For the geometry calculated by the RHF method with restrictions on the D_2h symmetry of the 18-member azacyclopolyene δ = +180 cm⁻¹, and for the geometry calculated with restrictions on the highest C_2v symmetry of the H₂Ch molecule δ = +620 cm⁻¹. The latter result shows that the “natural” requirement for the C_2v symmetry of the H₂Ch macrocycle, which is frequently used in various calculations, is inadequate to achieve a quantitative agreement between the calculation and experimental data and, in this case, the lengths of the bonds along the 18-member azacyclopolyene are not equal. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 3, pp. 339–347, May–June, 2005.     

Survey of the Star-Formation Regions Associated with Infrared Sources Observed in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">J</Emphasis> = 1−0 Line of the CO Molecule and Its Isotopes. Results of Observations Performed in the C<Superscript>18</Superscript>O(J = 1−0) Line

We present results of observations of 23 compact cores of molecular clouds associated with IRAS “ cold” infrared sources. The observations were performed in the J = 1−0 line of the C¹⁸O molecule on a 13.7-meter radio telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory, China. The C¹⁸O (J = 1−0) line was detected in the emission of 21 objects. Column densities of the C¹⁸O and H₂ molecules towards the maximum of integral intensity of the C¹⁸O emission were estimated in the approximation of local thermodynamic equilibrium and amounted to (2.5–10.4) · 10¹⁵cm⁻² and (1.5–6.1) · 10²² cm⁻², respectively. The kinetic temperatures determined for these maxima from the CO lines vary from 14 to 45 K. For six objects, whose mapping has been almost completed, the dimensions of the C¹⁸O emission regions are estimated to range from 0.5 to 1.2 pc. The masses of these objects lie in the range of (390–1750) M_⊙ and are close to the estimates following from the virial theorem. The range of average densities of the objects is (0.3–1.4) · 10⁴ cm⁻³. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 48, No. 7, pp. 553–562, July 2005.     

Mössbauer study of ultrafine amorphous Fe−B alloys

The chemical composition of ultrafine amorphous Fe−B powders prepared by a chemical reduction depends on the mixed molar ratio of KBH₄ to Fe ions. We propose the following reaction processes for the formation of ultrafine Fe−B powders: (1) 4Fe²⁺+2BH₄₋+6OH⁻→2Fe₂B+6H₂O+H₂ and (2) 4Fe²⁺+2BH₄₋+7OH⁻→2Fe₃B+Fe+BO₂+5H₂O+5/2H₂.     

The infrared spectra of tutton salts 1. A comparative study of (NH4)2 M″(SO4)2·6H2O (M″=Ni,Co or Mg)

The infrared spectra of (NH₄)₂M″(SO₄)₂.6H₂O has been analysed in the region 4000–250 cm⁻¹. The dynamics of each crystal has been discussed in terms of 234 phonon modes, including 3 acoustical ones, using the unit cell approximation. The ambiguity in the assignments of the bands in the region 900–500 cm⁻¹ has been removed by assigning the bands in this region to the libratory modes of H₂O molecules. It has been concluded that the NH ₄ ⁺ and SO ₄ ²⁻ ions have a symmetry lower thanT _dand also the complex [M″(H₂O)₆]²⁺ has a symmetry lower than O _h . The hydrogen bonding is the strongest in the Ni-salt and the weakest in the Mg-salt.     

Model for primary electron transfer and coupling of electronic states at reaction centers of purple bacteria

A detailed derivation is presented for relations making it possible to describe the effect of temperature on the halfwidth of the P960 and P870 absorption bands and also on the electron transfer (ET) rate at reaction centers (RCs) of the purple bacteria Rps. viridis and Rb. sphaeroides. Primary electron transfer is considered as a resonant nonradiative transition between P* and P⁺B _L ⁻ states (where P is a special pair, B_L is an additional bacteriochlorophyll in the L branch of the reaction center). It has been shown that the vibrational h_α mode with frequency 130–150 cm⁻¹ controls primary electron transfer. It has been found that the matrix element of the electronic transition between the states P* and P⁺B _L ⁻ is equal to 12.7 ± 0.9 and 12.0 ± 1.2 cm⁻¹ for Rps. viridis and Rb. sphaeroides respectively. The mechanism is discussed for electron transport from P* and B_L and then to bacteriopheophytin H_L. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 294–303, May–June, 2006.     

Absolute cross sections of electron attachment to molecular clusters. Part II: Formation of (H2O) N? , (N2O) N? , and (N2) N?

Absolute cross sections σ⁻(E, N) of electron attachment to clusters (H₂O) _N , (N₂O) _N , and (N₂) _N for varying electron energy E and cluster size N are measured by using crossed electron and cluster beams in a vacuum. Continua of σ⁻(E) are found that correlate well with the functions of electron impact excitation of molecules’ internal degrees of freedom. The electron is attached through its solvation in a cluster. In the formation of (H₂O) _N ⁻ , (N₂O) _N ⁻ , and (N₂) _N ⁻ , the curves σ⁻(N) have a well-defined threshold because of a rise in the electron thermalization and solvation probability with N. For (H₂O)₉₀₀, (N₂O)₃₅₀, and (N₂)₂₆₀ clusters at E = 0.2 eV, the energy losses by the slow electron in the cluster are estimated as 3.0 × 10⁷, 2.7 × 10⁷, and 6.0 × 10⁵ eV/m, respectively. It is found that the growth of σ⁻ with N is the fastest for (H₂O) _N and (N₂) _N clusters at E → 0 as a result of polarization capture of the s-electron. Specifically, at E = 0.1 eV and N = 260, σ⁻ = 3.0 × 10⁻¹³ cm² for H₂O clusters, 8.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm² for N₂O clusters, and 1.4 × 10⁻¹⁵ cm² for N₂ clusters; at E = 11 eV, σ⁻ = 9.0 × 10⁻¹⁶ cm² for (H₂O)₂₀₀ clusters, 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm² for (N₂O)₃₅₀ clusters, and 5.0 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm² for (N₂)₂₆₀ clusters; finally, at E = 30 eV, σ⁻ = 3.6 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm² for (N₂O)₁₀ clusters and 3.0 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm² for (N₂)₁₂₅ clusters. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Vostrikov, D.Yu. Dubov, 2006, published in Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoĭ Fiziki, 2006, Vol. 76, No. 12, pp. 1–15.     

Cross sections and other parameters ofe − − H2O scattering (E i⩾50 eV)

Our previous theoretical work one ⁻ − H₂O scattering has been modified and extended to intermediate and high energiesE _i. Using the Bethe plot, we compare the present inelastic cross-sections with the experimental ionization cross sections. Total cross-sections are analytically represented asQ _TOT(cm²)=a.(E _ieV) ^−b and the parameters ‘a’ and ‘b’ are discussed for molecules H₂O, NH₃ and CH₄ in the rangeE _i=100–1000eV.     

Hydroxyl ion conduction in ytterbium-doped strontium cerate at T<580 K in H2O/air atmosphere

Open circuit voltage (OCV) measurements in H₂O/air concentration cells at T<580 K using Yb-doped SrCeO₃ electrolyte indicate that under these conditions, protons are transported through the electrolyte as -ve ions, possibly as hydroxyl (OH⁻) ions. The H⁺ ionic transport, which is generally reported, becomes the dominant mode for H₂O/air concentration cells at temperatures greater than 750 K or when H₂O/air electrodes are replaced by H₂/Ar, and the anomalous OCV sign disappears. The combination of low temperature and the presence of hydrogen and oxygen as provided by the H₂O/air system appears to be necessary for the postulated hydroxyl ion electrode reactions to take place. In addition to OCV measurements, results from impedance spectroscopy are used to provide evidence in support of the suggested hydroxyl ion mode of protonic transport under the specified conditions. These findings are directly relevant in the development of novel humidity sensors in the temperature range 450–580K and is reported in a separate paper in this conference. Paper presented at the 3rd Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Teulada, Sardinia, Italy, Sept. 15–22, 1996     

Factor group theoretical analysis of fundamental vibrations of the H2AsO 4? anion in (C6H9N2)H2AsO4 single crystal

Fundamental (lattice, rotational, and intermolecular) vibrations of the H₂AsO₄⁻ anion in (C₆H₉N₂)H₂AsO₄ crystal are calculated using the correlation theorem based on the group theory. The correlation between anionic site of symmetry C _s and the factor group D _2h of the crystal yields 12 modes for both lattice and rotational vibrations. The infrared and Raman spectra of these modes do not coincide. Addition of two hydrogen atoms to AsO₄⁻ ion yields two As-OH bonds in the H₂AsO₄⁻ anion. As a result, the molecular symmetry is reduced from T _d to C _2υ . The free H₂AsO₄⁻ anion having C _2υ symmetry gives in total 15 fundamental normal vibrations. Under the crystal field splitting effects, the number of intermolecular vibrations for the anion in infrared and Raman spectra is calculated to be 56 active vibrations. The calculated fundamental vibrationsmanifest themselves as the main features in an experimental infrared spectrum.     

Four-wave mixing spectroscopy of aqueous suspensions of single-wall carbon nanotubes in the ranges of 0.1–10 and 100–250 cm<Superscript>−1</Superscript>

Distinctive optical properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are highly sensitive to variations in the environment. Here, we have studied SWNT in aqueous suspensions at a low (less than 0.1 μg ml⁻¹) concentration by four-wave mixing (FWM) spectroscopy in the spectral bands of 0.1 to 10 cm⁻¹ (≈300 GHz) and 100 to 250 cm⁻¹ (3 to 7.5 THz). We directly investigated the hydration layers around SWNT. A comparison of the FWM spectra of an SWNT aqueous suspension and Milli-Q water shows a considerable increase in the intensity of low-frequency Raman modes, which are attributed to the rotational transitions of H₂O₂ and H₂O molecules. We explain the observed phenomenon by the hydrogen peroxide production and formation of a low-density depletion layer at the water-nanotube interface. We have observed several SWNT radial breathing modes ω _RBM =118.5, 164.7, and 233.5 cm⁻¹ in an SWNT aqueous suspension and estimated the corresponding SWNT diameters as ≈2.0, 1.5, and 1 nm.     

Vibrational spectroscopic and electrochemical characteristics of poly (propylene glycol)-silver triflate polymer electrolyte system

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and electrochemical complex impedance studies have been carried out on a series of complexes containing poly(propylene glycol) of molecular weight 4,000 and silver triflate (AgCF₃SO₃) salt corresponding to the ether oxygen to metal cation ratios (O : M) in the range 16:1 to 12:1. The formation of ion pairs and aggregates noticed in the case of specimens having high salt concentrations as well as the complete coordination of the cation with the ether oxygen at low salt concentrations within the PPG4000-AgCF₃SO₃ polymer electrolyte system have been confirmed. The appearance of two weak triflate bands at 1,032 and 1,272 cm⁻¹ in the absorption spectra in respect of low salt concentrations is indicative of the fact that triflate ions are free within the polymer matrix. The room temperature (298 K) electrical conductivity is found to increase with increasing ether oxygen content while exhibiting the maximum value of 7.1 × 10⁻⁵ Scm⁻¹ possibly due to silver ionic transport in the case of the typical composition having an O : M ratio of 16:1.     

Infrared absorption and water structure in aerosol OT reverse micelles

Summary The structure of water in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) micelles has been studied as a function of the [H₂O]/[AOT] ratio (W) by using the absorption IR due to O−H stretching modes in the 3800–3000 cm⁻¹ range. Three systems have been studied: water/AOT/carbon tetrachloride, water/AOT/n-heptane and water/AOT iso-octane. Experimental spectra are presented and discussed for the O−H stretching region both of H₂O and isotopically diluted HDO molecules in D₂O. We have restricted ourselves to the region of small amounts of water (0<W<20) where the properties of the systems change strongly with the water content. The results show that IR spectra can be expressed as sum of contributions from interfacial and bulk-like water. The fraction of water in the two “regions” within the water pool was evaluated as a function ofW. From the data a continuous variation appears in the water properties inside micellar cores rather than a two-steps hydration mechanism. The solubilization of water is described in terms of hydration of the AOT head group and Na⁺ counterions. The maximum hydration number of AOT was found to be 3.5. The same behaviour has been observed in the three solvents studied.     

The infrared and laser Raman spectra of K2Zn(SO4)2 · 6H2O

The Raman spectra of the single crystal of K₂Zn(SO₄)₂·6H₂O belonging toC _2h ⁵ space group in the 40–1200 cm⁻¹ region in different scattering geometries and their spectra ofthe microcrystalline salt in the 1500-50 cm⁻¹ region have been reported. The dynamics of the crystal has been described in terms of 186 phonon modes under the unit cell approximation. The weak bands in the region 400–900 cm⁻¹ have been assigned to the libratory modes of H₂O molecules in contradiction to the assignments reported by Ananthanarayanan. The ambiguities existing in the literature about the assignments ofν ₂ ^c andν ₅ ^c modes of [Zn(H₂O)₆]²⁺ have also been removed. The translatory and libratory modes of different units of the crystal have been identified and assignments are made using farir and Raman data on various isomorphous tutton salts. It has been inferred that both SO ₄ ²⁻ tetrahedron and [Zn(H₂O)₆]²⁺ octahedron undergo linear as well as angular distortions from their free state symmetries in the crystal.