Electronic structure of Ni complexes by X-ray resonance Raman spectroscopy (resonant inelastic X-ray scattering)

The potential of 1s2p resonant inelastic (Raman) X-ray scattering (RIXS) is demonstrated for a series of Ni coordination complexes. In this technique, incident and scattered photon energies lie in the hard X-ray range (>5 keV). The 1s2p RIXS contour plots provide information that is complementary to K-edge and L-edge spectroscopy. RIXS spectroscopy promises to be a valuable probe of electronic structure     

The electronic structure of Mn in oxides, coordination complexes, and the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II studied by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) was used to collect Mn K pre-edge spectra and to study the electronic structure in oxides, molecular coordination complexes, as well as the S1 and S2 states of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PS II). The RIXS data yield two-dimensional plots that can be interpreted along the incident (absorption) energy or the energy transfer axis. The second energy dimension separates the pre-edge (predominantly 1s to 3d transitions) from the main K-edge, and a detailed analysis is thus possible. The 1s2p RIXS final-state electron configuration along the energy transfer axis is identical to conventional L-edge absorption spectroscopy, and the RIXS spectra are therefore sensitive to the Mn spin state. This new technique thus yields information on the electronic structure that is not accessible in conventional K-edge absorption spectroscopy. The line splittings can be understood within a ligand field multiplet model, i.e., (3d,3d) and (2p,3d) two-electron interactions are crucial to describe the spectral shapes in all systems. We propose to explain the shift of the K pre-edge absorption energy upon Mn oxidation in terms of the effective number of 3d electrons (fractional 3d orbital population). The spectral changes in the Mn 1s2p(3/2) RIXS spectra between the PS II S1 and S2 states are small compared to that of the oxides and two of the coordination complexes (Mn(III)(acac)3 and Mn(IV)(sal)2(bipy)). We conclude that the electron in the step from S1 to S2 is transferred from a strongly delocalized orbital.     

X-Ray spectra and electronic correlations of FeSe(1-x)Te(x)

Critical issues concerning emerging Fe-based superconductors include the degree of electron correlation and the origin of the superconductivity. X-Ray absorption spectra (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra (RIXS) of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) (x = 0-1) single crystals were obtained to study their electronic properties that relate to electron correlation and superconductivity. The linewidth of Fe L(2,3)-edges XAS of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) is narrower than that of Fe-pnictides, revealing the difference between their hybridization effects and localization character and those of other Fe-pnictides. While no significant differences exist between the Fe L-edge XAS and RIXS of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) and those of Fe-pnictides, Se K-edge and Te K-edge XAS exhibit substantial edge shift, suggesting that the superconductivity in an Fe-Se superconductor is strongly associated with the ligand states. A comparison of the Se K-edge and Te K-edge spectra reveals that the charge transfer may occur between Se and Te. Given the Coulomb interaction and the bandwidth, the spectral results indicate that FeSe(1-x)Te(x) is unlikely to be a weakly correlated system unlike the Fe-pnictides of the "1111" and "122" families. The spectral results further demonstrate that superconductivity in this class of Fe-based compounds is strongly associated with the ligand 4p hole state.     

Electronic structure of phospho-olivines Li(x)FePO4 (x = 0, 1) from soft-x-ray-absorption and -emission spectroscopies

The electronic structure of the phospho-olivine Li(x)FePO4 was studied using soft-x-ray-absorption (XAS) and emission spectroscopies. Characteristic changes in the valence and conduction bands are observed upon delithation of LiFePO4 into FePO4. In LiFePO4, the Fe-3d states are localized with little overlap with the O-2p states. Delithiation of LiFePO4 gives stronger hybridization between Fe-3d states and O-2p states leading to delocalization of the O-2p states. The Fe L-edge absorption spectra yield "fingerprints" of the different valence states of Fe in LiFePO4 and FePO4. Resonant soft-x-ray-emission spectroscopy at the Fe L edge shows strong contributions from resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS), which is described using an ionic picture of the Fe-3d states. Together the Fe L-edge XAS and RIXS study reveals a bonding character of the Fe 3d-O2p orbitals in FePO4 in contrast to a nonbonding character in LiFePO4.     

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy as a probe of ligand-metal bond covalency: metal vs ligand oxidation in copper and nickel dithiolene complexes

A combination of Cu L-edge and S K-edge X-ray absorption data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations has been correlated with 33S electron paramagnetic resonance superhyperfine results to obtain the dipole integral (Is) for the S 1s-->3p transition for the dithiolene ligand maleonitriledithiolate (MNT) in (TBA)2[Cu(MNT)2] (TBA= tetra-n-butylammonium). The results have been combined with the Is of sulfide derived from XPS studies to experimentally obtain a relation between the S 1s-->4p transition energy (which reflects the charge on the S atom, QSmol) and the dipole integral over a large range of QSmol. The results show that, for high charges on S, Is can vary from the previously reported Is values, calculated using data over a limited range of QSmol. A combination of S K-edge and Cu K- and L-edge X-ray absorption data and DFT calculations has been used to investigate the one-electron oxidation of [Cu(MNT)2]2- and [Ni(MNT)2]2-. The conversion of [Cu(MNT)2]2- to [Cu(MNT)2]- results in a large change in the charge on the Cu atom in the molecule (QCumol) and is consistent with a metal-based oxidation. This is accompanied by extensive charge donation from the ligands to compensate the high charge on the Cu in [Cu(MNT)2]- based on the increased S K-edge and decreased Cu L-edge intensity, respectively. In contrast, the oxidation of [Ni(MNT)2]2- to [Ni(MNT)2]- results in a small change in QNimol, indicating a ligand-based oxidation consistent with oxidation of a molecular orbital, psiSOMO (singly occupied molecular orbital), with predominant ligand character.     

Time-dependent DFT studies of metal core-electron excitations in Mn complexes

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has been applied to study core excitations from 1s and 2p Mn orbitals in a series of manganese complexes with oxygen and nitrogen donor ligands. The effect of basis set and functional on the excitation energy was evaluated in detail for one complex, Mn(acac)2 x (H2O)2. The results obtained for a range of compounds, namely, [Mn(Im)6]Cl2, Mn(CH3COO)2 x 4 H2O, Mn(acac)3, Mn(SALADHP)2 and [Mn(SALPN)O]2, show good consistency with the data from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), confirming the relation between the Mn K-edge energy and the oxidation state of the Mn atom. The energies predicted for 2p core excitations show a dependence on the metal oxidation state very similar to that determined experimentally by 1s2p resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) studies for Mn(acac)2 x (H2O)2, Mn(acac)3, and Mn(sal)2(bipy). The reliability of the K-edge energies obtained in the present study indicates that TDDFT can be used in determining the oxidation states of Mn atoms in different computational models of the manganese cluster of photosystem II (PSII).     

Investigation of the Fe K-edge XANES spectra from Fe(1-x)Ga(x)SbO4: local versus nonlocal excitations

The Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge (XANES) spectra from Fe(1-x)Ga(x)SbO(4), having a rutile-like structure, have been investigated. Similar to the Ti K-edge XANES spectrum from TiO(2) (rutile), the low-energy pre-edge region observed in the Fe K-edge spectra is too broad to be representative of only a local, quadrupolar 1s → 3d excitation. The broadness of this peak results from the presence of a nonlocal transition, referred to as an intersite hybrid, which involves the excitation of 1s electrons to unoccupied 3d states of a next-nearest-neighbor Fe atom. (These 3d states overlap Fe 4p states of the absorbing atom through O 2p states.) With increasing Ga concentration, the intensity of the intersite hybrid peak decreases because of a deficiency of unoccupied next-nearest-neighbor 3d states. This observation provides important information on how the peak intensities of these nonlocal excitations are affected by substitution of the constituent elements.     

Use of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) to identify physisorption and chemisorption of phosphate onto ferrihydrite-modified diatomite

This paper presents a novel technique integrating bulk-sensitive and surface-sensitive XANES methods to distinguish between physisorption and chemisorption for phosphate adsorption onto ferrihydrite-modified diatomite (FHMD). XANES P K-edge, L-edge, and Fe M-edge spectra were obtained for reference samples (K(2)HPO(4) and FePO(4)·2H(2)O) and test samples (phosphate adsorbed onto FHMD (FHMD-Ps) and Si-containing ferrihydrite (FHYD-Ps)). A resolvable pre-edge peak in the P K-edge spectra of FHMD-Ps and FHYD-Ps provided direct evidence for the formation of P-O-Fe(III) coordination and the occurrence of chemisorption. The resemblance between the P L-edge spectra of K(2)HPO(4) and FHMD-Ps and the marked difference between the spectra of FHMD-Ps and FePO(4)·2H(2)O indicated the intact existence of the adsorbate and the adsorbent. The similarity between Fe M-edge spectra of FHMD and FHMD-Ps and the difference between the spectra of FHMD-Ps and FePO(4)·2H(2)O confirmed the findings from P L-edge analyses. Therefore, chemisorption and physisorption coexisted during phosphate adsorption onto FHMD. Phosphate chemisorption occurred in the deeper zone of FHMD (from 50 nm to 5 μm); whereas physisorption occurred in the zone of FHMD shallower than 50 nm since the probing depth of XANES P K-edge method is 5 μm and that of P L-edge and Fe M-edge methods is 50 nm.     

An X-ray absorption spectroscopic study on mixed conductive La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O(3-δ) cathodes. I. Electrical conductivity and electronic structure

The electrical conduction mechanism of mixed conductive perovskite oxides, La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.8)Fe(0.2)O(3-δ), for cathode materials of solid oxide fuel cells has been investigated from electronic structural changes during oxygen vacancy formation. La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.8)Fe(0.2)O(3-δ) was annealed under various oxygen partial pressures p(O(2))s at 1073 K and quenched. Iodometric titration indicated that the oxygen nonstoichiometry of La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.8)Fe(0.2)O(3-δ) depended on the annealing p(O(2)), with more oxygen vacancies introduced at lower than at higher p(O(2))s. X-Ray absorption spectroscopic measurements were performed at the O K-, Co L-, Fe L-, Co K-, and Fe K-edges. The valence states of the Co and Fe ions were investigated by the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) at the Co and Fe L(III)-edges. While the Fe average valence was almost constant, the valence of the Co ions decreased with oxygen vacancy introduction. The O K-edge XANES spectra indicated that electrons were injected into the Co 3d/O 2p hybridization state with oxygen vacancy introduction. Both absorption edges at the Co and Fe K-edge XANES shifted towards lower energies with oxygen vacancy introduction. The shift at the Co K-edge resulted from the decrease in the Co average valence and that at the Fe K-edge appeared to be caused by changes in the coordination environment around the Fe ions. The total conductivity of La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.8)Fe(0.2)O(3-δ) decreased with decreasing p(O(2)), due to a decreasing hole concentration.     

Electronic and local structural changes in Li(2+x)Ti3O7 ramsdellite compounds upon electrochemical Li-ion insertion reactions by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Electronic and local structural changes in ramsdellite-type Li(2+x)Ti3O7 compound were investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements. Upon electrochemical Li-ion insertions, the host lattice with ramsdellite structure is retained, indicated by X-ray powder diffraction. Ti K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis shows, however, slight local structural distortions around Ti ions. The energy shifts and the changes in the peak intensity of Ti K-edge and Ti L-edge XAS reveal the reducing oxidation states of Ti ions as the amount of electrochemically-inserted Li-ion increases. Equally important, oxide ions have a significant effect on the electronic transfer process, suggested by O K-edge XAS. These results on electronic structural changes were interpreted using the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen scheme.     

Dysprosium compounds studied by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and high-resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy

A set of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) studies focusing on the 2p64f(n)-->2p54f(n)5d1(2p54f(n+1)5d0)-->2p63d94f(n)5d1(2p63d94f(n+1)5d0) channel of dysprosium in Dy metal, Dy2O3, DyNi3 and Dy25Fe18 compounds have been carried out. Data showed with high statistics and resolution, the different delocalization degree of the 5d band of dysprosium in these compounds, e.g., decreasing from Dy metal to DyNi3, Dy25Fe18 and to dysprosium oxide, in agreement with the high-resolution XANES (HRXANES) spectra. Band structure calculations performed on Dy metal and Dy2O3 confirm both RIXS and HRXANES results in the increasing delocalization of the dysprosium 5d band in Dy metal with respect to Dy2O3. The 5d orbital occupancies of DyNi3 and Dy25Fe18 alloys have been also studied by comparison of the HRXANES white line (WL) area with the behavior of the final states energy position in RIXS spectra and we show that DyNi3 has a higher 5d orbital occupancy than Dy25Fe18.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory studies of [(H3buea)FeIII-X]n- (X = S2-, O2-, OH-): comparison of bonding and hydrogen bonding in oxo and sulfido complexes

Iron L-edge, iron K-edge, and sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy was performed on a series of compounds [Fe(III)H(3)buea(X)](n-) (X = S(2-), O(2-), OH(-)). The experimentally determined electronic structures were used to correlate to density functional theory calculations. Calculations supported by the data were then used to compare the metal-ligand bonding and to evaluate the effects of H-bonding in Fe(III)(-)O vs Fe(III)(-)S complexes. It was found that the Fe(III)(-)O bond, while less covalent, is stronger than the Fe(III)(-)S bond. This dominantly reflects the larger ionic contribution to the Fe(III)(-)O bond. The H-bonding energy (for three H-bonds) was estimated to be -25 kcal/mol for the oxo as compared to -12 kcal/mol for the sulfide ligand. This difference is attributed to the larger charge density on the oxo ligand resulting from the lower covalency of the Fe-O bond. These results were extended to consider an Fe(IV)(-)O complex with the same ligand environment. It was found that hydrogen bonding to Fe(IV)(-)O is less energetically favorable than that to Fe(III)(-)O, which reflects the highly covalent nature of the Fe(IV)(-)O bond.     

Fe L-edge XAS studies of K4[Fe(CN)6] and K3[Fe(CN)6]: a direct probe of back-bonding

Distinct spectral features at the Fe L-edge of the two compounds K3[Fe(CN)6] and K4[Fe(CN)6] have been identified and characterized as arising from contributions of the ligand pi orbitals due to metal-to-ligand back-bonding. In addition, the L-edge energy shifts and total intensities allow changes in the ligand field and effective nuclear charge to be determined. It is found that the ligand field term dominates the edge energy shift. The results of the experimental analysis were compared to BP86 DFT calculations. The overall agreement between the calculations and experiment is good; however, a larger difference in the amount of pi back-donation between Fe(II) and Fe(III) is found experimentally. The analysis of L-edge spectral shape, energy shift, and total intensity demonstrates that Fe L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy provides a direct probe of metal-to-ligand back-bonding.     

Simulating picosecond iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectra by ab initio methods to study photoinduced changes in the electronic structure of Fe(II) spin crossover complexes

Recent time-resolved X-ray absorption experiments probing the low-spin to high-spin photoconversion in Fe(II) complexes have monitored the complex interplay between electronic and structural degrees of freedom on an ultrafast time scale. In this study, we use transition potential (TP) and time-dependent (TD) DFT to simulate the picosecond time-resolved iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum of the spin crossover (SCO) complex, [Fe(tren(py)(3))](2+). This is achieved by simulating the X-ray absorption spectrum of [Fe(tren(py)(3))](2+) in its low-spin (LS), (1)A(1), ground state and its high-spin (HS), (5)T(2), excited state. These results are compared with the X-ray absorption spectrum of the high-spin analogue (HSA), [Fe(tren(6-Me-py)(3))](2+), which has a (5)T(2) ground state. We show that the TP-DFT methodology can simulate a 40 eV range of the iron K-edge XANES spectrum reproducing all of the major features observed in the static and transient spectra of the LS, HS, and HSA complexes. The pre-edge region of the K-edge spectrum, simulated by TD-DFT, is shown to be highly sensitive to metal-ligand bonding. Changes in the intensity of the pre-edge region are shown to be sensitive to both symmetry and π-backbonding by analysis of relative electric dipole and quadrupole contributions to the transition moments. We generate a spectroscopic map of the iron 3d orbitals from our TD-DFT results and determine ligand field splitting energies of 1.55 and 1.35 eV for the HS and HSA complexes, respectively. We investigate the use of different functionals finding that hybrid functionals (such as PBE0) produce the best results. Finally, we provide a detailed comparison of our results with theoretical methods that have been previously used to interpret Fe K-edge spectroscopy of equilibrium and time-resolved SCO complexes.     

A new structural motif for biological iron: iron K-edge XAS reveals a [Fe4-mu-(OR)5(OR)(9-10)] cluster in the ascidian Perophora annectens

The Phlebobranch ascidian Perophora annectens surprisingly exhibited a biological Fe/V ratio of approximately 15:1 on multichannel X-ray fluorescence analysis of two independent collections of organisms. Iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicated a single form of iron. The XAS K-edge of the first collection of blood cells was shifted approximately +1 eV relative to that of the second, indicating redox activity with average iron oxidation states of 2.67+ and 2.60+. The first-derivative iron XAS K-edge features at 7120.5, 7124, and 7128 eV resembled the XAS of magnetite but not of ferritin or of dissolved Fe(II) or Fe(III). Pseudo-Voigt fits to blood-cell iron K-edge XAS spectra yielded 12.4 integrated units of preedge intensity, indicating a noncentrosymmetric environment. The non-phase-corrected extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) Fourier transform spectrum showed a first-shell O/N peak at 1.55 angstroms and an intense Fe-Fe feature at 2.65 angstroms. Fits to the EXAFS required a split first shell with two O at 1.93 angstroms and three O at 2.07 angstroms, consistent with terminal and bridging alkoxide ligands, respectively. More distant shells included three C at 2.87 angstroms, two Fe at 3.08 angstroms, three O at 3.29 angstroms, and one Fe at 3.8 angstroms. Structural models consistent with these findings include a [Fe4(OR)13](2-/3-) broken-edged Fe4O5 cuboid or a [Fe4(OR)14](3-/4-) "Jacob's ladder" with three edge-fused Fe2(OR)2 rhombs. Either of these models represents an entirely new structural motif for biological iron. Vanadium domination of blood-cell metals cannot be a defining trait of Phlebobranch tunicates so long as P. annectens is included among them.     

Changes in electronic structure upon lithium insertion into Fe2(SO4)3 and Fe2(MoO4)3 investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Changes in electronic structure upon electrochemical lithium insertion into two iron compounds, namely, rhombohedral Fe2(SO4)3 with a NASICON-type structure and monoclinic Fe2(MoO4)3, were investigated using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Fe K-edge and L(III)- and L(II)-edge XAS revealed that the rearrangement of Fe d electrons or rehybridization of Fe d-O p bonding took place accompanied by the reduction of Fe ions upon Li insertion for both samples and that a larger change in spectra was observed in Fe2(SO4)3. In addition, the changes in the electronic structure of the polyanion units XO4(2-) (X = S or Mo) after Li insertion were also investigated by O K-edge and S K-edge or Mo L(III)-edge XAS. The results indicated that the electronic structure around oxygen markedly changed in Fe2(MoO4)3, while no significant change was observed in Fe2(SO4)3.     

Investigation of the charge compensation mechanism on the electrochemically Li-ion deintercalated Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 electrode system by combination of soft and hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy

In situ hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at metal K-edges and soft XAS at O K-edge and metal L-edges have been carried out during the first charging process for the layered Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material. The metal K-edge XANES results show that the major charge compensation at the metal site during Li-ion deintercalation is achieved by the oxidation of Ni2+ ions, while the manganese ions and the cobalt ions remain mostly unchanged in the Mn4+ and Co3+ state. These conclusions are in good agreement with the results of the metal K-edge EXAFS data. Metal L-edge XAS results at different charge states in both the FY and PEY modes show that, unlike Mn and Co ions, Ni ions at the surface are oxidized to Ni3+ during charge, whereas Ni ions in the bulk are further oxidized to Ni4+ during charge. From the observation of O K-edge XAS results, we can conclude that a large portion of the charge compensation during Li-ion deintercalation is achieved in the oxygen site. By comparison to our earlier results on the Li1-xNi0.5Mn0.5O2 system, we attribute the active participation of oxygen in the redox process in Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 to be related to the presence of Co in this system.     

Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy offers unique chemical bonding insights: revisiting the electronic structure of ferrocene

Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) is emerging as a powerful tool for the study of chemical bonding. Analyses of the Kβ XES of ferrocene (Fc) and ferrocenium (Fc(+)) are presented as further demonstrations of the capabilities of the technique. Assignments of the valence to core (V2C) region of these spectra as electric dipole-allowed cyclopentadienyl (Cp) → Fe 1s transitions demonstrate that XES affords electronic structural insight into the energetics of ligand-based molecular orbitals (MOs). Combined with K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), we show that XES can provide analogous information to photoemission spectroscopy (PES). Density functional theory (DFT) analyses reveal that the V2C transitions in Fc/Fc(+) derive their intensity from Fe 4p admixture (on the order of 5-10%) into the Cp-based MOs from which they originate. These 4p admixtures confer bonding character to the Cp-based a(2u) and e(1u) MOs to at least the extent of backbonding contributions to frontier MOs from higher-lying Cp π* MOs.     

Influence of sequential thiolate oxidation on a nitrile hydratase mimic probed by multiedge X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Nitrile hydratases (NHases) are Fe(III)- and Co(III)-containing hydrolytic enzymes that convert nitriles into amides. The metal-center is contained within an N(2)S(3) coordination motif with two post-translationally modified cysteinates contained in a cis arrangement, which have been converted into a sulfinate (R-SO(2)(-)) and a sulfenate (R-SO(-)) group. Herein, we utilize Ru L-edge and ligand (N-, S-, and P-) K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopies to probe the influence that these modifications have on the electronic structure of a series of sequentially oxidized thiolate-coordinated Ru(II) complexes ((bmmp-TASN)RuPPh(3), (bmmp-O(2)-TASN)RuPPh(3), and (bmmp-O(3)-TASN)RuPPh(3)). Included is the use of N K-edge spectroscopy, which was used for the first time to extract N-metal covalency parameters. We find that upon oxygenation of the bis-thiolate compound (bmmp-TASN)RuPPh(3) to the sulfenato species (bmmp-O(2)-TASN)RuPPh(3) and then to the mixed sulfenato/sulfinato speices (bmmp-O(3)-TASN)RuPPh(3) the complexes become progressively more ionic, and hence the Ru(II) center becomes a harder Lewis acid. These findings are reinforced by hybrid DFT calculations (B(38HF)P86) using a large quadruple-ζ basis set. The biological implications of these findings in relation to the NHase catalytic cycle are discussed in terms of the creation of a harder Lewis acid, which aids in nitrile hydrolysis.     

Adsorption of HCl on the water ice surface studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The adsorption state of HCl at 20 and 90 K on crystalline water ice films deposited under ultrahigh vacuum at 150 K has been studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the O1s K-edge and Cl2p L-edge. We show that HCl dissociates at temperatures as low as 20 K, in agreement with the prediction of a spontaneous ionization of HCl on ice. Comparison between the rate of saturation of the "dangling" hydrogen bonds and the chlorine uptake indicates that hydrogen bonding of HCl with the surface native water "dangling" groups only accounts for a small part of the ionization events (20% at 90 K). A further mechanism drives the rest of the dissociation/solvation process. We suggest that the weakening of the ice surface hydrogen-bond network after the initial HCl adsorption phase facilitates the generation of new dissociation/solvation sites, which increases the uptake capacity of ice. These results also emphasize the necessity to take into account not only a single dissociation event but its catalyzing effect on the subsequent events when modeling the uptake of hydrogen-bonding molecules on the ice surface.