Jiebo Li

Ion clustering in aqueous solutions probed with vibrational energy transfer

Despite prolonged scientific efforts to unravel the hydration structures of ions in water, many open questions remain, in particular concerning the existences and structures of ion clusters in 1∶1 strong electrolyte aqueous solutions. A combined ultrafast 2D IR and pump/probe study through vibrational energy transfers directly observes ion clustering in aqueous solutions of LiSCN, NaSCN, KSCN and CsSCN. In a near saturated KSCN aqueous solution (water/KSCN molar ratio = 2.4/1), 95% of the anions form ion clusters. Diluting the solution results in fewer, smaller, and tighter clusters. Cations have significant effects on cluster formation. A small cation results in smaller and fewer clusters. The vibrational energy transfer method holds promise for studying a wide variety of other fast short-range molecular interactions.

Mode-specific intermolecular vibrational energy transfer. I. Phenyl selenocyanate and deuterated chloroform mixture

Vibrational energy transfer from the first excited state (2252 cm−1) of the C–D stretch of deuterated chloroform (DCCl3) to the 0-1 transition (2155 cm−1) of the CN stretch of phenyl selenocyanate (C6H5SeCN) in their 1:1 liquid mixture was observed with a pump/probe two-color two dimensional infrared spectroscopic technique. The mode-specific energy transfer can occur mainly because of the long vibrational lifetime of the CN stretch first excited state (∼300 ps) and the relatively strong hydrogen-bond between the C–D and CN (calculated H-bond formation energy in gas phase ∼−5.4 kcal/mol). The mode-specific energy transfer is relatively low efficient (only ∼2%), which is mainly because of the relatively short vibrational lifetime (∼9 ps) of the C–D stretch first excited state and the big donor/acceptor energy mismatch (97 cm−1) and the slow transfer kinetics (1/kCD→CN=330 ps).

Mode-specific intermolecular vibrational energy transfer. II. Deuterated water and potassium selenocyanate mixture

Vibrational energy transfer from the first excited state (2635 cm(-1)) of the O-D stretch of deuterated water (D(2)O) to the 0-1 transition (2075 cm(-1)) of the CN stretch of potassium selenocyanate (KSeCN) in their 2.5:1 liquid mixture was observed with a multiple-mode two dimensional infrared spectroscopic technique. Despite the big energy mismatch (560 cm(-1)) between the two modes, the transfer is still very efficient with a time constant of 20 ps. The efficient energy transfer is probably because of the large excitation coupling between the two modes. The coupling is experimentally determined to be 176 cm(-1). An approximate analytical equation derived from the Landau-Teller formula is applied to calculate the energy transfer rate with all parameters experimentally determined. The calculation results are qualitatively consistent with the experimental data.

Nonresonant and Resonant Mode-Specific Intermolecular Vibrational Energy Transfers in Electrolyte Aqueous Solutions

The donor/acceptor energy mismatch and vibrational coupling strength dependences of interionic vibrational energy transfer kinetics in electrolyte aqueous solutions were investigated with ultrafast multiple-dimensional vibrational spectroscopy. An analytical equation derived from the Fermis Golden rule that correlates molecular structural parameters and vibrational energy transfer kinetics was found to be able to describe the intermolecular mode specific vibrational energy transfer. Under the assumption of the dipole-dipole approximation, the distance between anions in the aqueous solutions was obtained from the vibrational energy transfer measurements, confirmed with measurements on the corresponding crystalline samples. The result demonstrates that the mode-specific vibrational energy transfer method holds promise as an angstrom molecular ruler.

Mapping Molecular Conformations with Multiple-Mode Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

The multiple-mode two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectrum in a broad frequency range from 1000 to 3200 cm(-1) of a 1-cyanovinyl acetate solution in CCl(4) is reported. By analyzing its relative orientations of the transition dipole moments of normal modes that cover vibrations of all chemical bonds, the three-dimensional molecular conformations and their population distributions of 1-cyanovinyl acetate are obtained, with the aid of quantum chemistry calculations that translate the experimental transition dipole moment cross angles into the cross angles among chemical bonds.

Ion Segregation in Aqueous Solutions

Microscopic structures and dynamics of aqueous salt solutions were investigated with the ultrafast vibrational energy exchange method and anisotropy measurements. In KSCN aqueous solutions of various concentrations, the rotational time constants of SCN(-) anions are proportional to the viscosities of the solutions. However, the reorientation dynamics of the water molecules are only slightly affected by the solution viscosity. With the addition of strongly hydrated F(-) anions, the rotations of both SCN(-) anions and water molecules slow down. With the addition of weakly hydrated I(-) anions, only the rotation of SCN(-) anions slows down with that of water molecules unaffected. Vibrational energy exchange measurements show that the separation among SCN(-) anions decreases with the addition of F(-) and increases with the addition of I(-). The series of experiments clearly demonstrate that both structures and dynamics of ion and water are segregated in the strong electrolyte aqueous solutions.

Cation Effects on Rotational Dynamics of Anions and Water Molecules in Alkali (Li+, Na+, K+, Cs+) Thiocyanate (SCN-) Aqueous Solutions

Waiting time dependent rotational anisotropies of SCN(-) anions and water molecules in alkali thiocyanate (XSCN, X = Li, Na, K, Cs) aqueous solutions at various concentrations were measured with ultrafast infrared spectroscopy. It was found that cations can significantly affect the reorientational motions of both water molecules and SCN(-) anions. The dynamics are slower in a solution with a smaller cation. The reorientational time constants follow the order of Li(+) > Na(+) > K(+) ~/= Cs(+). The changes of rotational time constants of SCN(-) at various concentrations scale almost linearly with the changes of solution viscosity, but those of water molecules do not. In addition, the concentration-dependent amplitudes of dynamical changes are much more significant in the Li(+) and Na(+) solutions than those in the K(+) and Cs(+) solutions. Further investigations on the systems with the ultrafast vibrational energy exchange method and molecular dynamics simulations provide an explanation for the observations: the observed rotational dynamics are the balanced results of ion clustering and cation/anion/water direct interactions. In all the solutions at high concentrations (>5 M), substantial amounts of ions form clusters. The structural inhomogeneity in the solutions leads to distinct rotational dynamics of water and anions. The strong interactions of Li(+) and Na(+) because of their relatively large charge densities with water molecules and SCN(-) anions, in addition to the likely geometric confinements because of ion clustering, substantially slow down the rotations of SCN(-) anions and water molecules inside the ion clusters. The interactions of K(+) and Cs(+) with water or SCN(-) are much weaker. The rotations of water molecules inside ion clusters of K(+) and Cs(+) solutions are not significantly different from those of other water species so that the experimentally observed rotational relaxation dynamics are only slightly affected by the ion concentrations.

Ultrafast multiple-mode multiple-dimensional vibrational spectroscopy

Ultrafast multiple-dimensional vibrational spectroscopy has been extensively applied to studies of molecular structures and dynamics in condensed phases. Along with the developments of new laser sources and new concepts, increasing improvements and applications of this technique have brought the understanding of molecular systems to a new level. In this review, we first briefly introduce the basic concepts, experimental setups and applications of the technique. The most recent progresses in applying vibrational energy transfers to determine intermolecular distances and vibrational couplings to determine three dimensional molecular conformations with our high power multiple-mode multiple-dimensional vibrational spectroscopy are then introduced in more details.

Coordination Number of Li+ in Nonaqueous Electrolyte Solutions Determined by Molecular Rotational Measurements

The coordination number of Li(+) in acetonitrile solutions was determined by directly measuring the rotational times of solvent molecules bound and unbound to it. The CN stretch of the Li(+) bound and unbound acetonitrile molecules in the same solution has distinct vibrational frequencies (2276 cm(-1) vs 2254 cm(-1)). The frequency difference allows the rotation of each type of acetonitrile molecule to be determined by monitoring the anisotropy decay of each CN stretch vibrational excitation signal. Regardless of the nature of anions and concentrations, the Li(+) coordination number was found to be 4-6 in the LiBF4 (0.2-2 M) and LiPF6 (1-2 M) acetonitrile solutions. However, the dissociation constants of the salt are dependent on the nature of anions. In 1 M LiBF4 solution, 53% of the salt was found to dissociate into Li(+), which is bound by 4-6 solvent molecules. In 1 M LiPF6 solution, 72% of the salt dissociates. 2D IR experiments show that the binding between Li(+) and acetonitrile is very strong. The lifetime of the complex is much longer than 19 ps.

Probing Ion/Molecule Interactions in Aqueous Solutions with Vibrational Energy Transfer

Interactions between model molecules representing building blocks of proteins and the thiocyanate anion, a strong protein denaturant agent, were investigated in aqueous solutions with intermolecular vibrational energy exchange methods. It was found that thiocyanate anions are able to bind to the charged ammonium groups of amino acids in aqueous solutions. The interactions between thiocyanate anions and the amide groups were also observed. The binding affinity between the thiocyanate anion and the charged amino acid residues is about 20 times larger than that between water molecules and the amino acids and about 5-10 times larger than that between the thiocyanate anion and the neutral backbone amide groups. The series of experiments also demonstrates that the chemical nature, rather than the macroscopic dielectric constant, of the ions and molecules plays a critical role in ion/molecule interactions in aqueous solutions.