Shenghan Wang

Pre-resonance-stimulated Raman scattering for water bilayer structure on laser-induced plasma bubble surface.

Pre-resonance-stimulated Raman scattering (PSRS) from water molecules in the air/water interfacial regions was studied when the laser-induced plasma bubble was generated at the interfaces. A characteristically lower Raman shift of OH-stretching vibrational modes of water molecules at around 3000  cm(-1) (370 meV) was observed, in which the mechanisms were possibly attributed to the strong hydrogen bond in a well-ordered water bilayer structure that was formed on a laser-induced plasma bubble surface. Simultaneously, the PSRS of ice Ih at about 3100  cm(-1) was obtained, which also belonged to the strong hydrogen bond effect in ice Ih structure.

Study of hydrogen bonding in ethanol-water binary solutions by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectra of ethanol-water binary solutions have been observed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. We find that with increasing ethanol concentration, the symmetric and asymmetric OH stretching vibrational mode (3286 and 3434cm-1) of water are shifted to lower frequency and the weak shoulder peak at 3615cm-1 (free OH) disappears. These results indicate that ethanol strengthens hydrogen bonds in water. Simultaneously, our experiment shows that Raman shifts of ethanol reverses when the volume ratio of ethanol and the overall solution is 0.2, which demonstrates that ethanol-water structure undergoes a phase transition.

Controlling cross pumping between C-N and C-H vibration in nitromethane by selective fluorescence-enhanced stimulated Raman scattering

To investigate the vibrational features of nitromethane (NM), which is a kind of energy material and a well known low-sensitivity and high explosive, experiments are performed to obtain the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of NM by employing a 532 nm pulsed pump laser. The Raman signal involves two stimulated emissions at 918 and 2,963 cm-1, attributed to the C-N and C-H stretching vibrations, respectively. To overcome the complexity of cross pump in the pure NM, one stimulated Raman radiation is chosen as a pump source to excite the other Raman mode. Two fluorescence dyes were added to selectively enhance each Raman cross section. By internally seeding the Raman gain medium with fluorescent photons, a significant modification in the stimulated Raman scattering spectrum has been observed. The enhanced Stokes emission at 918 cm-1 was able to induce the 2,963 cm-1 vibration mode when the all-trans-β-carotene was internal seeding in the NM, while the Raman radiation at 2,963 cm-1 was enhanced to excite the C-N mode with the addition of m-Cresol purple. The output energy of both 918 and 2,963 cm-1 under different input energy was also measured to illustrate this result.

Structure of water molecules from Raman measurements of cooling different concentrations of NaOH solutions

The Raman spectra of different concentrations of NaOH solutions have been successfully obtained at normal pressure by cooling. The results indicate that the icing point and the ice phase transition temperature of NaOH solutions decrease with increasing concentrations. Particularly, the different concentrations (2, 4, 6 or 8 and 12M) take place the liquid- III- Ih, liquid- V- Ih, liquid- VI- XV and liquid- IX- VI phase transition, respectively. In addition, the three peaks of around 3524, 3580 and 3624cm-1 appear spectra of the NaOH solutions at low temperature.

An insight into liquid water networks through hydrogen bonding halide anion: Stimulated Raman scattering

We have studied the interaction between water molecules and halide anions and acquired the influence of concentration by the spontaneous Raman spectrum. The results agreed well with the previous researches. To explore further, the stimulated Raman scattering of a halide–water binary solution is measured to study the nature of the hydrogen bonding between water molecules and halogen anions. Under the effect of laser-induced plasma, the OH stretching vibration spectra of aqueous solutions of halogen ions pretty exhibit different trend compared with that of spontaneous Raman spectrum. The frequency shifts of water OH vibration show different values and directions with adding different halide anions. The red shift of F−– and Cl−–water molecule clusters is due to the process of charge transfer, whereas the blue shift of Br−– and I−–water molecule cluster is due to polarization effect without charge transfer. The results demonstrate that F− and Cl− slightly weaken the hydrogen bond (HB), whereas Br− and I− enhance HB in the water cluster. The decrease of concentration of halogen ions aqueous solution can weaken the effect on the HB.

Nanoshock wave resonance enhancement on stimulated Raman scattering of H 2 O 2 in liquid water

This study investigates the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of H(2)O(2)-H(2)O mixtures. The laser-induced plasma nanoshock wave is formed by focusing an intense pulsed 532 nm laser beam on the mixtures. An enhancement at the low-frequency 1715  cm(-1) SRS line of the bending mode of H(2)O(2) is observed. The mechanism of enhancement was attributed to nanoshock wave resonance with the bending mode, which would preferentially excite phonon and lower energy molecular vibrations.

A Raman spectroscopy study on the effects of intermolecular hydrogen bonding on water molecules absorbed by borosilicate glass surface

The structural forms of water/deuterated water molecules located on the surface of borosilicate capillaries have been first investigated in this study on the basis of the Raman spectral data obtained at different temperatures and under atmospheric pressure for molecules in bulk and also for molecules absorbed by borosilicate glass surface. The strongest two fundamental bands locating at 3063cm-1 (2438cm-1) in the recorded Raman spectra are assigned here to the OH (OD) bond stretching vibrations and they are compared with the corresponding bands observed at 3124cm-1 (2325cm-1) in the Raman spectrum of ice Ih. Our spectroscopic observations have indicated that the structure of water and deuterated water molecules on borosilicate surface is similar to that of ice Ih (hexagonal phase of ice). These observations have also indicated that water molecules locate on the borosilicate surface so as to construct a bilayer structure and that strong and weak intermolecular hydrogen bonds are formed between water/deuterated molecules and silanol groups on borosilicate surface. In accordance with these findings, water and deuterated water molecules at the interface of capillary have a higher melting temperature.

Study of molecular association in acetic acid-water binary solution by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectra of acetic acid-water binary solutions with different concentrations have been measured in order to study molecular association of acetic acid. We find that the symmetric and asymmetric OH stretching vibration of water (3242 and 3443 cm-1) have marked changes of Raman shift when the volume fraction of acetic acid (VAA) is 0.3 and 0.8, respectively, which demonstrates that the hydrogen bonding of the water is affected, causing association molecule (acetic acid-water structure) to undergo two phase transitions. Furthermore, the peak of the HCH bending vibration is blue-shifted at VAA = 0.8, which shows that the acetic acid-acetic acid structure undergoes a phase transition and the acetic acid side-on dimer is formed. These results also indicate that the CH vibration mode in CH⋯O is HCH bending vibration. Finally, the phase transition process of association molecules (hydrated monomer, linear dimer, acetic acid side-on dimer and water-separated dimer) has been obtained in acetic acid-water binary solutions through theoretical analysis.

Dynamic high pressure induced strong and weak hydrogen bonds enhanced by pre-resonance stimulated Raman scattering in liquid water

355 nm pulsed laser is employed to excite pre-resonance forward stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) of liquid water at ambient temperature. Due to the shockwave induced dynamic high pressure, the obtained Raman spectra begin to exhibit double peaks distribution at 3318 and 3373 cm-1 with the input energy of 17 mJ,which correspond with OH stretching vibration with strong and weak hydrogen (H) bonds. With laser energy rising from 17 to 27 mJ, the Stokes line at 3318 cm-1 shifts to 3255 and 3230 cm-1 because of the high pressure being enlarged. When the energy is up to 32 mJ, only 3373 cm-1 peak exists. The strong and weak H bond exhibit quite different energy dependent behaviors.