Quantum behavior of water nano-confined in beryl

Manifestations of Weak O-H···F Hydrogen Bonding in M(H2O) n(B12F12) Salt Hydrates: Unusually Sharp Fourier Transform Infrared ν(OH) Bands and Latent Porosity (M = Mg-Ba, Co, Ni, Zn)

Eight M(H₂O) _n(Z) salt hydrates were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (Z^2- = B₁₂F₁₂^2-): M = Ca, Sr, n = 7; M = Mg, Co, Ni, Zn, n = 6; M = Ba, n = 4, 5. Weak O-H···F hydrogen bonding between the M(H₂O) _n²⁺ cations and Z^2- resulted in room-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra having sharp ν(OH) bands, with full widths at half max of 10-30 cm^-1, which are much more narrow than ν(OH) bands in room temperature FTIR spectra of most salt hydrates. Clearly resolved ν_asym(OH/OD) and ν_sym(OH/OD) bands with Δν(OH) as small as 17 cm^-1 and Δν(OD) as small as 11 cm^-1 were observed (Δν(OX) = ν_asym(OX) - ν_sym(OX)). The isomorphic hexahydrates ( R3̅) have two fac-(H₂O)₃ sets of H₂O ligands and nearly octahedral coordination spheres. They exhibited four resolvable ν(OH) bands, one ν_asym(OH)/ν_sym(OH) pair for H₂O ligands with longer O(H)···F distances and one ν_asym(OH)/ν_sym(OH) pair for H₂O ligands with shorter O(H)···F distances. The ν(OH) bands for the three H₂O molecules with shorter, slightly stronger O(H)···F hydrogen bonds were broader, more intense, and red-shifted by ca. 25 cm^-1 relative to the bands for the three other H₂O molecules, the first time that such small differences in relatively weak O(H)···F hydrogen bonds in the same crystalline hexahydrate have resulted in observable IR spectroscopic differences at room temperature. For the first time room temperature ν(OH) values for salt hexahydrates showed the monotonic progression Mg²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Zn²⁺, essentially the same progression as the p K_a values for these metal ions in aqueous solution. A further manifestation of the weak O-H···F hydrogen bonding in these hydrates is the latent porosity exhibited by Ba(H₂O)_5,8(Z), Sr(H₂O) _n,m(Z), and Ca(H₂O)_4,6(Z). Finally, the H₂O/D₂O exchange reaction Co(D₂O)₆(Z) → Co(H₂O)₆(Z) was ca. 50% complete in 1 h at 50 °C in N₂/17 Torr H₂O( g).

Vibrational states of nano-confined water molecules in beryl investigated by first-principles calculations and optical experiments

Using the DFT approach and optical spectroscopy, we provide a comprehensive analysis of IR excitation of water molecules confined in beryl nanopores.