Infrared and infrared-visible sum frequency generation spectroscopic response of harmonic monolayer vibrons: Homogeneous profile

A theoretical study of the sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy of the carbon tetrachloride/water interface

Theoretical approximations to the sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS) of the carbon tetrachloride/water interface are constructed using the quantum-corrected time correlation functions (TCF) to aid in interpretation of experimental data and to predict novel vibrational modes. Instantaneous normal mode (INM) methods are used to characterize the observed modes leading to the TCF signal, thus providing molecular resolution of the vibrational lineshapes. Detailed comparisons of the theoretical signals are made with those obtained experimentally and show excellent agreement for the spectral peaks in the O-H stretching region of water. An intermolecular mode, unique to the interface, at 848 cm(-1) is also identifiable, similar to the one seen for the water/vapor interface. INM analysis reveals the resonance is due to a wagging mode (hindered rotation) that was previously identified (Perry et al 2005 J. Chem. Phys. 123 144705) as localized on a single water molecule with both hydrogens displaced normal to the interface-generally it is found that the symmetry breaking at the interface leads to hindered translations and rotations at hydrophilic/hydrophobic interfaces that assume finite vibrational frequencies due to anchoring at the aqueous interface. Additionally, examination of the real and imaginary parts of the theoretical SFVS spectra reveal the spectroscopic species attributed the resonances and possible subspecies in the O-H region; these results are consistent with extant experimental data and associated analysis.

Improved Computation of Sum Frequency Generation Spectrum of the Surface of Water

The infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG) spectrum of the surface of water was calculated with significantly improved accuracy via the time-dependent formalism we have recently proposed. The revisions include molecular modeling of the OH stretching region, sampling statistics, and a treatment of boundary conditions. The calculated spectra show good agreement with recent experiments, allowing a detailed comparison and analysis.

A theoretical description of the polarization dependence of the sum frequency generation spectroscopy of the water/vapor interface

An improved time correlation function (TCF) description of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy was developed and applied to theoretically describing the spectroscopy of the ambient water/vapor interface. A more general TCF expression than was published previously is presented-it is valid over the entire vibrational spectrum for both the real and imaginary parts of the signal. Computationally, earlier time correlation function approaches were limited to short correlation times that made signal processing challenging. Here, this limitation is overcome, and well-averaged spectra are presented for the three independent polarization conditions that are possible for electronically nonresonant SFG. The theoretical spectra compare quite favorably in shape and relative magnitude to extant experimental results in the O-H stretching region of water for all polarization geometries. The methodological improvements also allow the calculation of intermolecular SFG spectra. While the intermolecular spectrum of bulk water shows relatively little structure, the interfacial spectra (for polarizations that are sensitive to dipole derivatives normal to the interface--SSP and PPP) show a well-defined intermolecular mode at 875 cm(-1) that is comparable in intensity to the rest of the intermolecular structure, and has an intensity that is approximately one-sixth of the magnitude of the intense free O-H stretching peak. Using instantaneous normal mode methods, the resonance is shown to be due to a wagging mode localized on a single water molecule, almost parallel to the interface, with two hydrogens displaced normal to the interface, and the oxygen anchored in the interface. We have also uncovered the origin of another intermolecular mode at 95 cm(-1) for the SSP and PPP spectra, and at 220 cm(-1) for the SPS spectra. These resonances are due to hindered translations perpendicular to the interface for the SSP and PPP spectra, and translations parallel to the interface for the SPS spectra. Further, by examining the real and imaginary parts of the SFG signal, several resonances are shown to be due to a single spectroscopic species while the "donor" O-H region is shown to consist of three distinct species-consistent with an earlier experimental analysis.

Identification of a wagging vibrational mode of water molecules at the water/vapor interface

An improved time correlation function description of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy was applied to theoretically describe the water/vapor interface. The resulting spectra compare favorably in shape and relative magnitude to extant experimental results in the O-H stretching region of water. Further, the SFG spectra show a well-defined intermolecular mode at 875 cm(-1) that has significant intensity. The resonance is due to a wagging mode localized on a single water molecule. It represents a well-defined population of water molecules at the interface that, along with the free O-H modes, represent the dominant interfacial species.

Structure and Vibrational Spectroscopy of Salt Water/Air Interfaces: Predictions from Classical Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We report the sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra of aqueous sodium iodide interfaces computed with the methodology outlined by Morita and Hynes (J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 673), which is based on molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated spectra are in qualitative agreement with experiment. Our simulations show that the addition of sodium iodide to water leads to an increase in SFG intensity in the region of 3400 cm(-1), which is correlated with an increase in ordering of hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Depth-resolved orientational distribution functions suggest that the ion double layer orders water molecules that are approximately one water layer below the Gibbs dividing surface. We attribute the increase in SFG intensity to these ordered subsurface water molecules that are present in the aqueous sodium iodide/air interfaces but are absent in the neat water/air interface.

Vibron-polaron critical localization in a finite size molecular nanowire

The small polaron theory is applied to describe the vibron dynamics in an adsorbed nanowire with a special emphasis onto finite size effects. It is shown that the finite size of the nanowire discriminates between side molecules and core molecules which experience a different dressing mechanism. Moreover, the inhomogeneous behavior of the polaron hopping constant is established and it is shown that the core hopping constant depends on the lattice size. However, the property of a lattice with translational invariance is recovered when the size of the nanowire is greater than a critical value. Finally, it is pointed out that these features yield the occurrence of high energy localized states in which both the nature and the number are summarized in a phase diagram in terms of the relevant parameters of the problem (small polaron binding energy, temperature, lattice size).