Connecting Structure to Infrared Spectra of Molecular and Autodissociated HCl−Water Aggregates

Why do dipole moments of HCl-water clusters fail to determine acid dissociation?

This paper quantitatively examines why dipole moments of HCl(H2O)n=1-8 cannot serve as the dissociation criterion for acid molecules using the Hirshfeld-I approach. Also, we propose the possible experimental parameter 〈P(HCl)〉, whose statistical average enables the assessment of acid dissociation in mixed clusters. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that a minimum of four water molecules are necessary to dissociate an HCl molecule.

Mechanism of ionic dissociation of HCl in the smallest water clusters

The dissociation of strong acids into water is a fundamental process in chemistry and biology. Determining the minimum number of water molecules that can result in an ionic dissociation of hydrochloric acid (HCl → H+ + Cl-) remains a challenging subject. In this study, the reactions of H2O with HCl(H2O)n-1 (HCl-H2O cluster), i.e., HCl(H2O)n-1 + H2O (n = 3-7), were investigated by using the direct ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method. Direct AIMD calculations were performed to set the collision energy of H2O to zero for all trajectories. For n = 3, no reaction occurred. In contrast, HCl dissociated to H+ + Cl- at n = 4, forming a contact ion pair (cIP) and solvent-separated ion pair (ssIP) as products. The reactions were expressed as HCl(H2O)3 + H2O → H3O+(H2O)2Cl- (ssIP), and HCl(H2O)3 + H2O → H3O+(Cl-)(H2O)2 (cIP). The ion pair (IP) products were dependent on the collision site of H2O relative to HCl(H2O)3. For n = 5-7, both IPs were formed through the reaction between H2O and HCl(H2O)n-1 (n = 5-7). The reaction between HCl and (H2O)4 (HCl + (H2O)4 → HCl(H2O)4) was non-reactive in IP formation. The reaction mechanism was discussed based on the theoretical results.

Rovibrational states calculations of the H2O-HCN heterodimer with the multiconfiguration time dependent Hartree method

Water and hydrogen cyanide are two of the most common species in space and the atmosphere with the ability of binding to form dimers such as H2O-HCN. In the literature, while calculations characterizing various properties of the H2O-HCN cluster (equilibrium distance, vibrational frequencies and rotational constants) have been done in the past, extensive calculations of the rovibrational states of this system using a reliable quantum dynamical approach have yet to be reported. In this work, we intend to mend that by performing the first calculation of the rovibrational states of the H2O-HCN van der Waals complex on a recently developed potential energy surface. We use the block improved relaxation procedure implemented in the Heidelberg MultiConfiguration Time-Dependent Hartree (MCTDH) package to compute the states of the H2O-HCN isomer, from which we extract the transition frequencies and rotational constants of the complex. We further adapt an approach first suggested by Wang and Carrington-and supported here by analysis routines of the Heidelberg MCTDH package-to properly characterize the computed rovibrational states. The subsequent assignment of rovibrational states was done by theoretical analysis and visual inspection of the wavefunctions. Our simulations provide a Zero Point Energy (ZPE) and intermolecular vibrational frequencies in good agreement with past ab initio calculations. The transition frequencies and rotational constants obtained from our simulations match well with the available experimental data. This work has the broad aim to propose the MCTDH approach as a reliable option to compute and characterize rovibrational states of van der Waals complexes such as the current one.

Noncovalently bound molecular complexes beyond diatom–diatom systems: full-dimensional, fully coupled quantum calculations of rovibrational states

The methodological advances made in recent years have significantly extended the range and dimensionality of noncovalently bound molecular complexes for which full-dimensional quantum calculations of their rovibrational states are feasible.

DCl-H2O, HCl-D2O, and DCl-D2O Dimers: Inter- and Intramolecular Vibrational States and Frequency Shifts from Fully Coupled Quantum Calculations on a Full-Dimensional Neural Network Potential Energy Surface

We report full-dimensional and fully coupled quantum calculations of the inter- and intramolecular vibrational states of three isotopologues of the hydrogen chloride-water dimer: DCl-H₂O (DH), HCl-D₂O (HD), and DCl-D₂O (DD). The present study extends our recent theoretical investigation of the nine-dimensional (9D) vibrational level structure of the HCl-H₂O (HH) dimer [Liu, Y.; Li, J.; Felker, P. M.; Bačić, Z. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23, 7101-7114]. It employs the same accurate 9D permutation invariant polynomial-neural network potential energy surface and the highly efficient bound-state methodology. The objective of this work is to elucidate the isotopologue variations of a range of bound-state properties of the hydrogen chloride-water dimer and compare them to those of the HH dimer. In order to achieve this, for the isotopologues considered, the rigorous 9D quantum calculations performed encompass all intramolecular vibrational fundamentals, and their frequency shifts relative to the isolated monomer values, together with the low-lying intermolecular vibrational states in each of the intramolecular vibrational manifolds of interest. Moreover, for the ground state of each isotopologue, several informative vibrationally averaged intermolecular geometric properties of the dimer are computed, as well as the three rotational constants. The energies of the intermolecular inversion and rock modes, which mainly involve the motions of the water moiety, differ greatly for H₂O and D₂O, but are much less sensitive to whether the hydrogen chloride isotopologue is HCl or DCl. On the other hand, the excitation of the HCl/DCl stretch changes significantly the energies of the water inversion and rock modes. The DCl stretch frequency shift computed in 9D for the DD dimer, -114.91 cm^-1, agrees extremely well with the corresponding experimental value of -115.20 cm^-1 measured by Saykally and co-workers.

HCl–H2O dimer: an accurate full-dimensional potential energy surface and fully coupled quantum calculations of intra- and intermolecular vibrational states and frequency shifts

The present work reports a new full-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) of the HCl–H₂O dimer, and the first fully coupled 9D quantum calculations of the intra- and intermolecular vibrational states of the complex, utilizing this PES.

Probing the Partial Activation of Water by Open-Shell Interactions, Cl(H2O)1-4

The partial chemical activation of water by reactive radicals was examined computationally for small clusters of chlorine and water, Cl^•(H₂O)_n=1-4. Using an automated isomer-search procedure, dozens of unique, stable structures were computed. Among the resulting structural classes were intact, hydrated-chlorine isomers, as well as hydrogen-abstracted (HCl)(OH)(H₂O)_n-1 configurations. The latter showed increased stability as the degree of hydration increased, until n = 4, where a new class of structures was discovered with a chloride ion bound to an oxidized water network. The electronic structure of these three structural classes was investigated, and spectral signatures of this hydration-based evolution were connected to these electronic properties. An ancillary outcome of this detailed computational analysis, including coupled-cluster benchmarks, was the calibration of cost-effective quantum chemistry methods for future studies of these radical-water complexes.

An ab initio molecular dynamics study of benzene in water at supercritical conditions: Structure, dynamics, and polarity of hydration shell water and the solute

Anisotropic structure and dynamics of the hydration shell of a benzene solute in supercritical water are investigated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The polarity and structural distortion of the benzene solute in supercritical water are also investigated in this study. Calculations are done at 673 K for three different densities of the solvent. The simulations are carried out using the Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr (BLYP) and also the Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr functional including dispersion corrections of Grimme (BYLP-D). The structural anisotropy is found to exist even at supercritical conditions as elucidated by the radial distribution functions of different conical regions and also by angular and spatial distribution functions. The benzene-water πH-bond and also the water-water hydrogen bonds are found to exist even at the supercritical temperature of 673 K. However, the numbers of these hydrogen bonds are reduced substantially with a decrease in water density. The water molecules in the axial region of benzene are found to be preferably oriented with one OH vector pointing toward the benzene ring, whereas the water molecules located in the equatorial region are found to orient their dipoles mostly parallel to the ring plane. The orientational distributions, however, are found to be rather broad at the supercritical temperature due to thermal fluctuations. Although the water molecules have faster dynamics at these supercritical conditions, a slight difference is observed in the dynamics of the solvation shell and bulk molecules. The conformational flexibility of the ring is found to be enhanced which causes an increase in polarity of the benzene solute in water under supercritical conditions.

Anharmonicity of Vibrational Modes in Hydrogen Chloride-Water Mixtures

A thorough analysis of molecular vibrations in the binary system hydrogen chloride/water is presented considering a set of small mixed and pure clusters. In addition to the conventional normal-mode analysis based on the diagonalization of the Hessian, anharmonic frequencies were obtained from the perturbative VPT2 and PT2-VSCF method using hybrid density functional theory. For all normal modes, potential energy curves were modeled by displacing the atoms from the minimum geometry along the normal mode vectors. Three model potentials, a harmonic potential, a Morse potential, and a fourth order polynomial, were applied to fit these curves. From these data, it was possible not only to characterize distinct vibrations as mainly harmonic, anharmonic, or involving higher order terms but also to extract force constants, k, and anharmonicity constants, x_e. By investigating all different types of intramolecular vibrations including covalent stretching or bending vibrations and intermolecular vibrations such as librations, we could demonstrate that while vibrational frequencies can be obtained applying scaling factors to harmonic results, useful anharmonicity constants cannot be predicted in such a way and the usage of more elaborate vibrational methods is necessary. For each particular type of molecular vibration, we could however determine a relationship between the wavenumber or wavenumber shift and the anharmonicity constant, which allows us to estimate mode dependent anharmonicity constants for larger clusters in the future.

Predissociation dynamics of the HCl-(H2O)3 tetramer: An experimental and theoretical investigation

The cyclic HCl-(H₂O)₃ tetramer is the largest observed neutral HCl-(H₂O)_n cluster. The vibrational predissociation of HCl-(H₂O)₃ is investigated by theory, quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations, and experiment, following the infrared excitation of the hydrogen-bonded OH-stretch fundamental. The energetically possible dissociation pathways are HCl + (H₂O)₃ (Pathway 1) and H₂O + HCl-(H₂O)₂ (Pathway 2). The HCl and H₂O monomer fragments are observed by 2 + 1 resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and their rotational energy distributions are inferred and compared to the theoretical results. Velocity map images of the monomer fragments in selected rotational levels are used for each pathway to obtain pair-correlated speed distributions. The fragment speed distributions obtained by experiment and QCT calculations are broad and structureless, encompassing the entire range of allowed speeds for each pathway. Bond dissociation energies, D₀, are estimated experimentally from the endpoints of the speed distributions: 2100 ± 300 cm^-1 and 2400 ± 100 cm^-1 for Pathway 1 and Pathway 2, respectively. These values are lower but in the same order as the corresponding calculated D₀: 2426 ± 23 cm^-1 and 2826 ± 19 cm^-1. The differences are attributed to contributions from vibrational hot bands of the clusters that appear in the high-speed tails of the experimental pair-correlated distributions. Satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment is achieved when comparing the monomer fragments' rotational energies, the shapes of the speed distributions, and the average fragment speeds and center-of-mass translational energies. Insights into the dissociation mechanism and lifetime are gained from QCT calculations performed on a previously reported many-body potential energy surface. It is concluded that the dissociation lifetime is on the order of 10 ps and that the final trimer products are in their lowest energy cyclic forms.

Acid Dissociation in HCl-Water Clusters is Temperature Dependent and Cannot be Detected Based on Dipole Moments

The dissociation of acids in aqueous environments at low temperatures in the presence of a limited amount of water is underlying a wealth of processes from atmospheric to interstellar science. For the paradigmatic case of HCl(H_{2}O)_{n} clusters, our extensive ab initio path integral simulations quantify in terms of free energy differences and barriers that n=4 water molecules are indeed required to dissociate HCl at low temperatures. Increasing the temperature, however, reverses the process and thus counteracts dissociation by fluctuation-driven recombination. The size of the electric dipole moment is shown to not correlate with the acid being in its dissociated or molecular state, thus rendering its measurement as a function of n unable to detect the dissociation transition.

Perturbation Approach for Computing Infrared Spectra of the Local Mode of Probe Molecules

Linear and two-dimensional infrared (IR) spectroscopy of site-specific probe molecules provides an opportunity to gain a molecular-level understanding of the local hydrogen-bonding network, conformational dynamics, and long-range electrostatic interactions in condensed-phase and biological systems. A challenge in computation is to determine the time-dependent vibrational frequencies that incorporate explicitly both nuclear quantum effects of vibrational motions and an electronic structural representation of the potential energy surface. In this paper, a nuclear quantum vibrational perturbation (QVP) method is described for efficiently determining the instantaneous vibrational frequency of a chromophore in molecular dynamics simulations. Computational efficiency is achieved through the use of (a) discrete variable representation of the vibrational wave functions, (b) a perturbation theory to evaluate the vibrational energy shifts due to solvent dynamic fluctuations, and (c) a combined QM/MM potential for the systems. It was found that first-order perturbation is sufficiently accurate, enabling time-dependent vibrational frequencies to be obtained on the fly in molecular dynamics. The QVP method is illustrated in the mode-specific linear and 2D-IR spectra of the H-Cl stretching frequency in the HCl-water clusters and the carbonyl stretching vibration of acetone in aqueous solution. To further reduce computational cost, a hybrid strategy was proposed, and it was found that the computed vibrational spectral peak position and line shape are in agreement with experimental results. In addition, it was found that anharmonicity is significant in the H-Cl stretching mode, and hydrogen-bonding interactions further enhance anharmonic effects. The present QVP method complements other computational approaches, including path integral-based molecular dynamics, and represents a major improvement over the electrostatics-based spectroscopic mapping procedures.

Vibrational Predissociation of the HCl-(H2O)3 Tetramer

The vibrational predissociation of the HCl-(H₂O)₃ tetramer, the largest HCl-(H₂O)_n cluster for which HCl is not predicted to be ionized, is reported. This work focuses on the predissociation pathway giving rise to H₂O + HCl-(H₂O)₂ following IR laser excitation of the H-bonded OH stretch fundamental. H₂O fragments are monitored state selectively by 2 + 1 resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). Velocity map images of H₂O in selected rotational levels are used to determine translational energy distributions from which the internal energy distributions in the pair-correlated cofragments are derived. From the maximum translational energy release, the bond dissociation energy, D₀ = 2400 ± 100 cm^-1, is determined for the investigated channel. The energy distributions in the fragments are broad, encompassing the entire range of allowed states. The importance of cooperative (nonpairwise) interactions is discussed.

How Many Water Molecules Does it Take to Dissociate HCl?

The potential energy surfaces of the HCl(H2O)n (n is the number of water molecules) clusters are systematically explored using density functional theory and high-level ab initio computations. On the basis of electronic energies, the number of water molecules needed for HCl dissociation is four as reported by some experimental groups. However, this number is five owing to the inclusion of entropic factors. Wiberg bond indices are calculated and analyzed, and the results provide a quadratic correlation and classification of clusters according to the nondissociated, partially dissociated, and fully dissociated character of the H-Cl bond. Our computations show that if temperature is not controlled during the experiment, the values obtained for the dipole moment (or for any measurable property) are susceptible to change, providing a different picture of the number of water molecules needed for HCl dissociation in a nanoscopic droplet.

Anisotropic structure and dynamics of the solvation shell of a benzene solute in liquid water from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

The anisotropic structure and dynamics of the hydration shell of a benzene solute in liquid water have been investigated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations using the BLYP (Becke–Lee–Yang–Parr) and dispersion corrected BLYP-D functionals.

Application of graphene-copper sulfide nanocomposite modified electrode for electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin

In this paper a graphene (GR) and copper sulfide (CuS) nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal method and used for the electrode modification with a N-butylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate based carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) as the substrate electrode. Hemoglobin (Hb) was immobilized on the modified electrode to get a biocompatible sensing platform. UV-vis absorption spectroscopic results confirmed that Hb retained its native secondary structure in the composite. Direct electron transfer of Hb incorporated into the nanocomposite was investigated with a pair of well-defined redox waves appeared on cyclic voltammogram, indicating the realization of direct electrochemistry of Hb on the modified electrode. The results can be ascribed to the presence of GR-CuS nanocomposite on the electrode surface that facilitates the electron transfer rate between the electroactive center of Hb and the electrode. The Hb modified electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of trichloroacetic acid in the concentration range from 3.0 to 64.0 mmol L(-1) with the detection limit of 0.20 mmol L(-1) (3σ). The fabricated biosensor displayed the advantages such as high sensitivity, good reproducibility and long-term stability.

Effects of Zero-Point Delocalization on the Vibrational Frequencies of Mixed HCl and Water Clusters

We demonstrate the significant effect that large-amplitude zero-point vibrational motion can have on the high-frequency fundamental vibrations of molecular clusters, specifically small (HCl)n-(H2O)m clusters. Calculations were conducted on a many-body potential, constructed from a mix of new and previously reported semiempirical and high-level ab initio potentials. Diffusion Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine ground-state wave functions. Visualization of these wave functions indicates that the clusters exhibit delocalized ground states spanning multiple stationary point geometries. The ground states are best characterized by planar ring configurations, despite the clusters taking nonplanar configurations at their global minima. Vibrational calculations were performed at the global minima and the Diffusion Monte Carlo predicted configurations and also using an approach that spans multiple stationary points along a rectilinear normal-mode reaction path. Significantly better agreement was observed between the calculated vibrational frequencies and experimental peak positions when the delocalized ground state was accounted for.

Aggregation-induced chemical reactions: acid dissociation in growing water clusters

Understanding chemical reactivity at ultracold conditions, thus enabling molecular syntheses via interstellar and atmospheric processes, is a key issue in cryochemistry. In particular, acid dissociation and proton transfer reactions are ubiquitous in aqueous microsolvation environments. Here, the full dissociation of a HCl molecule upon stepwise solvation by a small number of water molecules at low temperatures, as relevant to helium nanodroplet isolation (HENDI) spectroscopy, is analyzed in mechanistic detail. It is found that upon successive aggregation of HCl with H(2)O molecules, a series of cyclic heteromolecular structures, up to and including HCl(H(2)O)(3), are initially obtained before a precursor state for dissociation, HCl(H(2)O)(3)···H(2)O, is observed upon addition of a fourth water molecule. The latter partially aggregated structure can be viewed as an "activated species", which readily leads to dissociation of HCl and to the formation of a solvent-shared ion pair, H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(3)Cl(-). Overall, the process is mostly downhill in potential energy, and, in addition, small remaining barriers are overcome by using kinetic energy released as a result of forming hydrogen bonds due to aggregation. The associated barrier is not ruled by thermal equilibrium but is generated by athermal non-equilibrium dynamics. These "aggregation-induced chemical reactions" are expected to be of broad relevance to chemistry at ultralow temperature much beyond HENDI spectroscopy.