Segregation of hydroxide ions to an ice surface

Radical reactions on interstellar icy dust grains: Experimental investigations of elementary processes

Molecular clouds (MCs) in space are the birthplace of various molecular species. Chemical reactions occurring on the cryogenic surfaces of cosmic icy dust grains have been considered to play important roles in the formation of these species. Radical reactions are crucial because they often have low barriers and thus proceed even at low temperatures such as ∼10 K. Since the 2000s, laboratory experiments conducted under low-temperature, high-vacuum conditions that mimic MC environments have revealed the elementary physicochemical processes on icy dust grains. In this review, experiments conducted by our group in this context are explored, with a focus on radical reactions on the surface of icy dust analogues, leading to the formation of astronomically abundant molecules such as H₂, H₂O, H₂CO, and CH₃OH and deuterium fractionation processes. The development of highly sensitive, non-destructive methods for detecting adsorbates and their utilization for clarifying the behavior of free radicals on ice, which contribute to the formation of complex organic molecules, are also described.

Proton Transport and Related Chemical Processes of Ice

Excess protons play a key role in the chemical reactions of ice because of their exceptional mobility, even when the diffusion of atoms and molecules is suppressed in ice at low temperatures. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the properties of excess protons in ice, with a focus on the involvement of protons in chemical reactions. The mechanism of efficient proton transport in ice, which involves a proton-hopping relay along the hydrogen-bond ice network and the reorientation of water, is discussed and compared with the inefficient transport of hydroxide in ice. Distinctly different properties of protons residing in the ice interior and on the ice surface are emphasized. Recent observations of the spontaneous occurrence of reactions in ice at low temperatures, which include the dissociation of protic acids and the hydrolysis of acidic oxides, are discussed with regard to the kinetic and thermodynamic effects of mobile protons on the promotion of unique chemical processes of ice.

Asymmetric Transport Mechanisms of Hydronium and Hydroxide Ions in Amorphous Solid Water: Hydroxide Goes Brownian while Hydronium Hops

The diffusion of hydronium (H3O(+)) and hydroxide (OH(-)) ions is one of the most intriguing topics in aqueous chemistry. It is considered that these ions in aqueous solutions move via sequential proton transfer events, known as the Grotthuss mechanisms. Here, we present an experimental study of the diffusion and H/D exchange of hydronium and hydroxide ions in amorphous solid water (ASW) at 140-180 K by using low-energy sputtering (LES) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) measurements. The study shows that the two species transport in ASW via fundamentally different molecular mechanisms. Whereas hydronium ions migrate via efficient proton transfer, hydroxide ions move via Brownian molecular diffusion without proton transfer. The molecular hydroxide diffusion in ASW is in stark contrast to the current view of the hydroxide diffusion mechanism in aqueous solution, which involves proton transfer.

Probing molecular solids with low-energy ions

Ion/surface collisions in the ultralow- to low-energy (1-100-eV) window represent an excellent technique for investigation of the properties of condensed molecular solids at low temperatures. For example, this technique has revealed the unique physical and chemical processes that occur on the surface of ice, versus the liquid and vapor phases of water. Such instrument-dependent research, which is usually performed with spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, has led to new directions in studies of molecular materials. In this review, we discuss some interesting results and highlight recent developments in the area. We hope that access to the study of molecular solids with extreme surface specificity, as described here, will encourage investigators to explore new areas of research, some of which are outlined in this review.

Asymmetric transport efficiencies of positive and negative ion defects in amorphous ice

Hydronium (H(3)O(+)) ions at an ice surface penetrate into its interior over a substantially longer distance than hydroxide (OH(-)) ions. The observation was made by conducting reactive ion scattering and infrared spectroscopic measurements for the acid-base reaction between surface H(3)O(+) (or OH(-)) and NH(3) (or NH(4)(+)) trapped inside an amorphous ice film at low temperature (<100 K). The study reveals very different transport efficiencies of positive and negative ion defects in ice. This difference is explained by the occurrence of an efficient proton-relay channel for H(3)O(+), which does not exist for OH(-).