The structure of the hydration shell of the ionized HCl molecule in water vapor

The H₃O⁺(H₂O) _n Cl^? clusters were simulated by the Monte Carlo method in a grand canonical ensemble in thermal and material contact with water vapor under the conditions close to the natural conditions in the stratosphere. A detailed model including nonpair polarization and covalent interactions was used. The correlation functions, density distributions, and free energy and entropy as functions of the interionic distance were calculated. The mechanism of ionized HCl state stabilization was determined by the formation of a special structure of the hydrate cluster component with low Gibbs energy and entropy.     

Ion solvation in water clusters

We describe here molecular dynamics computer simulations performed to study the solvation of ions (Cl^? and Na⁺) in water clusters. Our simulations show that the calculated structure and dynamics of the clusters is very sensitive to the potential model which is used to describe the interactions. From the comparison with thermodynamic data and data from the photoelectron spectra we conclude that in Cl^?(H₂O)_n (n≤20) clusters the ion is located on the surface of the cluster.     

Observations of magic numbers in gas phase hydrates of alkylammonium ions

Hydration of alkylammonium ions under nonanalytical electrospray ionization conditions has been found to yield cluster ions with more than 20 water molecules associated with the central ion. These cluster ion species are taken to be an approximation of the conditions in liquid water. Many of the alkylammonium cation mass spectra exhibit water cluster numbers that appear to be particularly favorable, i.e., “magic number clusters” (MNC). We have found MNC in hydrates of mono- and tetra-alkyl ammonium ions, NH₃(C _m H_2m+1)⁺(H₂O) _n , m=1–8 and N(C _m H_2m+1) ₄ ⁺ (H₂O) _n , m=2–8. In contrast, NH₂(CH₃) ₂ ⁺ (H₂O) _n , NH(CH₃) ₃ ⁺ (H₂O) _n1 and N(CH₃) ₄ ⁺ (H₂O) _n do not exhibit any MNC. We conjecture that the structures of these magic number clusters correspond to exohedral structures in which the ion is situated on the surface of the water cage in contrast to the widely accepted caged ion structures of H₃O⁺(H₂O) _n and NH ₄ ⁺ (H₂O) _n .     

Can Water Clusters Ionize HCl under the Conditions of Arctic Stratosphere? 1. Intermolecular Interactions

Pseudopotential model was constructed to simulate the H₃O⁺(H₂O) _n Cl^– clusters at room and stratosphere temperatures using the Monte Carlo method. Numerical values of interaction parameters were restored from the experimental data on the free energy and entropy of vapor nucleation on ions in the combination with the data of quantum chemical calculations of the optimal configurations of HCl(H₂O) _n clusters. The stability of various cluster structures and the probability of the rupture of intramolecular HCl bond in these clusters were analyzed.     

Ligand Exchange in Pd(II)-NaCl-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O and Pd(II)-HCl-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O Systems: Quantum-Chemical Consideration

The behavior of potassium tetrachloropalladate(II) in media simulating biological liquids is studied. The rate of aquation in aqueous NaCl solutions is shown to be higher than the rate at which the Cl^? ligand enters the inner coordination sphere of the Pd atom. In HCl solutions, the formation of the Pd chloro complexes predominates due to protonation of water molecules in the composition of aqua complexes. The reactions of replacement of the ligands (H₂O molecules and H₃O⁺ ion) in the planar Pd(II) complexes by the chloride ion are studied by the ZINDO/1 method. All the complexes containing H₂O and H₃O⁺ ligands, except for [Pd(H₂O)₄]²⁺, contain intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The ZINDO/1 and RHF/STO-6G(d) calculations revealed “nonclassic” symmetrical O? H?O hydrogen bond in the [[Pd(H₂O)₃(H₃O)]³⁺ and trans-[Pd(H₂O)₂(H₃O)Cl]²⁺ complexes. The replacement of the H₃O⁺ ion by the Cl^? ion at the first three steps is thermodynamically more advantageous than the displacement of water molecules from the metal coordination sphere. The logarithms of stepwise stability constants of Pd(II) chloro complexes are found to correlate linearly with the enthalpies (ZINDO/1, PM3) of reactions of H₂O replacement by Cl^?.     

A comparison study of the H + CH4 and H + SiH4 reactions with eight-dimensional quantum dynamics: normal mode versus local mode in the reactant molecule vibration

The hydration of NaCl has been widely studied and believed to be important for understanding the mechanisms of salt dissolution in water and the formation of ice nucleus, cloud, and atmospheric aerosols. However, understanding on the poly-NaCl ion pair interacting with water is very limited. Here, we investigated the adsorption of water molecules on (NaCl)₃, using both theoretical calculations and anion photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The calculated vertical detachment energies and the experimental ones agree well with each other. Furthermore, we found that, for neutral (NaCl)₃(H₂O) _n (n = 2–7) clusters, the water-doped cuboid and structures formed by adding water molecules on the Na–Cl edges of the cuboid are energetically favored; water molecules preferentially bind to the Na–Cl edge if the NaCl ion pair has larger partial charges than others. We also found the anionic structures are more various compared with neutral ones, and the Na⁺ and Cl^? ions are hydrated more easily in the anionic clusters than in the corresponding neutrals.     

A new approach to the structure of concentrated aqueous electrolyte solutions using pulsed NMR methods

It is shown that selective measurements of the magnetic dipole—dipole interactions between specific pairs of nuclear spins in glasses of concentrated aqueous electrolytes can provide detailed structural information of relevance to the liquid. The validity of the approach is demonstrated by selective measurements of the inter- and intra-molecular (H₂O) proton—proton interactions in LiCl and LiBr solutions at 100 K. For LiCl,4H₂O, these measurements are consistent with a short range (≈0.8 nm) distorted sodium chloride structure with Cl^? and Li(H₂O)⁺₄ as basic units: each Cl^? ion is octahedrally coordinated to six OH bonds. For LiCl,RH₂O solutions in the composition range 4 <R < 10, the excess H₂O is packed interstitially at the interfaces between clusters of LiCl,4H₂O. This structure is consistent with various properties of the solution at room temperature. LiBr solutions have similar structures.     

Positive and negative methanol cluster ions using a direct fast atom bombardment technique

Positive and negative cluster ions in methanol have been examined using a direct fast atom bombardment (FAB) probe technique. Positive ion (CH₃OH)_IIH ⁺ clusters with n = 1-28 have been observed and their clusters are the dominant ions in the low-mass region. Cluster-ion reaction products (CH₃OH)_II(H₂O)H⁺ and (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃OCH₃)H⁺ are observed for a wide range of n and the abundances of these ions decrease with increasing n. The negative ion (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃O)^? clusters are also readily observed with n = 0-24 and these form the most-abundant negative ion series at low n. The (CH₃OH)_II(CH₂O)^?, (CH₃OH)_II(H_IIO)(CH₂O)^? and (CH₃OH)_II(H₂OXCH₃O)^? cluster ions are formed and the abundances of these ions approach those of the (CH₃OH)_II(CH₃O)^? ion series at high n. Cluster-ion structures and energetics have been examined using semi-empirical molecular orbital methods.     

On the Search for H5O2+centered Water Clusters in the Gas Phase

In searching for H₅O₂⁺-centered water clusters, we employed vibrational predissociation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Structures of the clusters were characterized by the free- and hydrogen-bonded-OH stretches of ion cores and solvent molecules. Systematic examination of H⁺(H₂O)_5–7 in a supersonic expansion reveals the presence of both cyclic and noncyclic forms of H₅O₂⁺-centered water clusters. The proton transfer intermediate H₅O₂⁺(H₂O)₄ was identified, for the first time, by its characteristic hydrogen-bonded-OH stretches of the ion core at 3178 cm^?1. Also discovered at n = 7 is the H₅O₂⁺-containing five-membered ring isomer, whose existence is evidenced by the observation of a bonded-OH stretching doublet at 3544 and 3555 cm^?1 of the solvent molecules. The observations are in accord with ab initio calculations which forecast that H₅O₂⁺(H₂O)₄ and H₅O₂⁺(H₂O)₅ are, respectively, the lowest-energy isomers of protonated water hexamers and heptamers.     

Hydroxo and Chloro Complexes/Ion Interactions of Hf4+ and the Solubility Product of HfO2(am)

The solubility of HfO₂(am) was determined at different equilibration periods from the over- and undersaturation directions, in very acidic to basic solutions (0.1 m HCl to 3.2 m NaOH), and in NaCl solutions ranging in concentrations from very dilute to as high as 5.59 m and in a ${\text{p}}C_{{\text{H}} + }$ range from 1 to 4 to obtain reliable thermodynamic data for the Hf⁴⁺–Cl^?–Na⁺–H⁺–OH^?–H₂O system. The studies indicate that equilibrium is reached rapidly (<5 days) and that HfO₂(am) solubility shows amphoteric behavior. The solubility data obtained in this study, along with the data reported in the literature, at NaOH molalities as high as 21.7 m were interpreted using the ion-interaction model of Pitzer. The log K ⁰ for the solubility of HfO₂(am) [HfO₂(am) + 2H₂O ? Hf⁴⁺ + 4OH^?] was determined to be ?55.1 ± 0.7. The log K ⁰ values for the formation of HfOH³⁺, Hf(OH)⁰ ₄, Hf(OH)₅ ^?, and Hf(OH)₆ ^2? according to the reaction (Hf⁴⁺ + xOH^? ? Hf(OH)^4?x _x) were determined to be 13.8, <44.8, 49.7 ± 0.2, and 51.2 ± 0.2, respectively. The thermodynamic model developed in this study is valid for a wide range of conditions (as high as 0.1 m HCl, 21.7 m NaOH, and 5.59 m NaCl). The binary ion-interaction parameters for Hf⁴⁺–Cl^?, HfOH³⁺–Cl^?, and Hf(OH)^2? ₆–Na⁺ were determined in this study to accurately define the observed solubility behavior of hafnium in various systems.     

Inception of Acetic Acid/Water Cluster Growth in Molecular Beams

The influence of carboxylic acids on water nucleation in the gas phase has been explored in the supersonic expansion of water vapour mixed with acetic acid (AcA) at various concentrations. The sodium‐doping method has been used to detect clusters produced in supersonic expansions by using UV photoionisation. The mass spectra obtained at lower acid concentrations show well‐detected Na⁺?AcA(H₂O)_n and Na⁺?AcA₂(H₂O)_n clusters up to 200 Da and, in the best cooling expansions, emerging Na⁺?AcA_m(H₂O)_n signals at higher masses and unresolved signals that extend beyond m/e values >1000 Da. These signals, which increase with increasing acid content in water vapour, are an indication that the cluster growth taking place arises from mixed water–acid clusters. Theoretical calculations show that small acid–water clusters are stable and their formation is even thermodynamically favoured with respect to pure water clusters, especially at lower temperatures. These findings suggest that acetic acid may play a significant role as a pre‐nucleation embryo in the formation of aerosols in wet environments.     

Prospective of the LDI MS to characterization the corrosion products of silver-copper alloys on an example of the Ag-Cu-X (X- Zn,Pd, In) system

This work presents the perspective of applying the laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI MS) for characterization the anode film of the Ag₆₀Cu₂₆Zn₁₄, Ag_58.5Cu_31.5Pd₁₀, and Ag₆₃Cu₂₇In₁₀ alloys (at high concentrations of chloride ions in solutions). The reference LDI mass spectra of anode films of pure Ag and Cu have been used for the identification of product corrosion. Knowing the clusters detected in the reference spectra lead to the facilitating identification of the LDI mass spectrum of the sample and reduces the analysis time. The LDI MS analysis of these alloys revealed that the predominant corrosion product are AgCl (from Ag_nCl_n+1^?/+, n = 1–3), and CuCl (from “superhalogen” Cu_mCl_n^? clusters, m = 1–2, n = 2–6); it also revealed Cu₂(OH)₃Cl (from Cu₂(OH)(H₂O)₂⁺) and Cu₂O (from Cu(H₂O)⁺, Cu₂O doped with chlorine). These results are in accordance with the X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis. The LDI MS spectra of alloys contain the additional peaks formed due to the mutual influences of different metals in the alloys (AgCuCl₃^? (AgCl-CuCl₂^?), AgCu₂Cl₄^? (AgCl-CuCl-CuCl₂^?), and Ag₂CuCl₄^? (AgCl-AgCl-CuCl^?), which is consistent with the identified corrosion products. It should be noted that the LDI MS suggest the presence of CuCl₂, which can be interpreted as the corrosion products retained in the porous films of alloys, and not detected by the other methods due to a small amount. The future theoretical and experimental studies of metal clusters, significant for metallurgy, can contribute that the LDI MS is becoming a powerful analytical tool for characterization the metal surfaces.     

The kinetics of chlorine evolution and reduction on glassy carbon in molten tetrachloroaluminate at 175°C

The chlorine electrode reaction on glassy carbon in sodium tetrachloroaluminate melt (AlCl₃+NaCl) with near equimolar compositions was investigated at 175°C with voltammetric techniques. The kinetic parameters (Tafel slope and exchange current density) measured as functions of chloride ion activity and partial pressure of chlorine, and the reaction orders with respect to Cl^? and Cl₂ have been collected extensively, being compared with the theoretical kinetic derivatives deduced from the rate equations solved under three different kinds of adsorption isotherms: Langmuir, non-activated Temkin and activated Temkin isotherms. All the evidence collected in this study indicates that the reaction mechanism for both evolution and dissolution of chlorine consists of a fast electron transfer (Cl^?→Cl_ad+e) followed (or preceded) by a slow Heyrovsky-type reaction (Cl^?+Cl_ad→Cl₂+e) on glassy carbon surfaces where the adsorbed intermediate obeys the activated Temkin isotherm. The exchange current density was found as 8.6±0.8 μA cm^?2 at 175°C in the melt of pCl=1.1 under an atmospheric pressure of Cl₂, and its electrode potential (E°_CΓ/Cl2) was determined as 2.182±0.005 V vs. Al.     

Molecular beam multiphoton-ionization studies on ammonia—water binary clusters

Two-photon ionization mass spectra are obtained for NH₃H₂O binary clusters both with a nozzle beam and an ArF excimer laser. The detected major ions are H⁺(NH₃)_n(H₂O)_m(1 <m + n < 9). The results suggest that ammonia molecules constitute an inner shell which is surrounted by water molecules.     

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.     

Stability of molecular form of HCl in water vapor: A computer simulation

The free energy and entropy of the dissociation of HCl molecule into ions in water vapor, HCl(H₂O) _n + mH₂O → H₃O + (H₂O) _n+m -1Cl^?, were calculated. The dependences of various parameters on the interionic distance at 273 K and various vapor pressures were obtained. A detailed model taking into account unpaired covalent-type interactions, polarization interactions, charge transfer effect, and hydrogen bonds was applied. The numerical values of the parameters were reconstructed from the experimental data on the free energy and enthalpy of the first reactions of addition of vapor molecules to ions, and also from the results of quantum-chemical calculations of the energy and geometry of locally stable configurations of clusters HCl(H₂O) _n . Despite lower internal energy of the dissociated state, the molecular form is absolutely stable in clusters of water molecules. The dissociated state is relatively stable. Accumulation of unrecombined ion pairs in clusters is possible with a decrease in the temperature to 200 K.     

AB initio calculations on the hydration energies of Br− Ion

The energies of hydrated Br^? ion for coordination numbers up to 4 have been calculated with an ab inito MO method. The most favorable orientation is the ion—dipole one, in contrast to the H-bonded orientation for Cl^?(H₂O) and F^?(H₂O). The hydration energies calculated in this study are in fair agreement with those obtained by Arshadi.     

Unimolecular and hydrolysis channels for the detachment of water from microsolvated alkaline earth dication (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) clusters

We examine theoretically the three channels that are associated with the detachment of a single water molecule from the aqueous clusters of the alkaline earth dications, [M(H₂O) _n ]²⁺, M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, n ≤ 6. These are the unimolecular water loss (M²⁺(H₂O) _n?1 + H₂O) and the two hydrolysis channels resulting the loss of hydronium ([MOH(H₂O) _n?2]⁺ + H₃O⁺) and Zundel ([MOH(H₂O) _n?3]⁺ + H₃O⁺(H₂O)) cations. Minimum energy paths (MEPs) corresponding to those three channels were constructed at the Møller–Plesset second order perturbation (MP2) level of theory with basis sets of double- and triple-ζ quality. We furthermore investigated the water and hydronium loss channels from the mono-hydroxide water clusters with up to four water molecules, [MOH(H₂O) _n ]⁺, 1 ≤ n ≤ 4. Our results indicate the preference of the hydronium loss and possibly the Zundel-cation loss channels for the smallest size clusters, whereas the unimolecular water loss channel is preferred for the larger ones as well as the mono-hydroxide clusters. Although the charge separation (hydronium and Zundel-cation loss) channels produce more stable products when compared to the ones for the unimolecular water loss, they also require the surmounting of high-energy barriers, a fact that makes the experimental observation of fragments related to these hydrolysis channels difficult.     

What is the minimum number of water molecules required to dissolve a potassium chloride molecule?

This work answers an unsolved question that consists of determining the least number of water molecules necessary to separate a potassium chloride molecule. The answer based on accurate quantum chemical calculations suggests that tetramers are the smallest clusters necessary to dissociate KCl molecules. The study was made with Møller‐Plesset second‐order perturbation theory modified with the cluster theory having single, double, and perturbative triple excitations. With this extensive study, the dissociation of KCl molecule in different water clusters was evaluated. The calculated results show that four water molecules stabilize a solvent separated K⁺/Cl^? ion‐pair in prismatic structure and with six water molecules further dissociation was observed. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy of KCl dissolved in water establishes that clusters are made of closely bound ions with a mean of five water molecules per ion‐pair [K⁺(H₂O)₅Cl^?]. (Max and Chapados, Appl Spectrosc 1999, 53, 1601; Max and Chapados, J Chem Phys 2001, 115, 2664.) The calculated results tend to support that five water molecules leads toward the formation of contact ion‐pair. The structures, energies, and infrared spectra of KCl molecules in different water clusters are also discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Computer Simulation of Water Clusterization on Chlorine Ions: 1. Thermodynamic Properties

Cl^–(H₂O) _n clusters, n = 1–60, in equilibrium with vapor were simulated using the Monte Carlo method. Free energy and the work of clusters formation at room temperature and temperature corresponding to polar stratosphere were calculated. Clusters retain their stability over the entire investigated size range even at multiple vapor supersaturation; however, when supersaturation increases further, the cluster grows in an avalanche-like manner. In clusters with n > 20, the effect of ion field on the free energy of added molecules diminishes dramatically retaining, however, its stabilizing function.