Infrared Spectra of H+(H2O)5-8 Clusters: Evidence for Symmetric Proton Hydration

TLDR: In this article, a vibrational predissociation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations of protonated water clusters from a supersonic expansion were performed at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level.

Abstract: Protonated water clusters, H+(H2O)n (n = 5−8), from a supersonic expansion have been investigated by vibrational predissociation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The experimental spectra were obtained at an estimated cluster temperature of 170 ± 20 K. Recorded absorption bands at the frequency range of 2700−3900 cm-1 are attributed to the free- and hydrogen-bonded-OH stretches of the ion core and the surrounding solvent molecules. Ab initio calculations, performed at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level, indicate that geometries of the H+(H2O)5-8 isomers are close in energy, with the excess proton either localized on a single water molecule, yielding H3O+(H2O)n-1, or equally shared by two molecules, yielding H5O2+(H2O)n-2. Systematic comparison of the experimental and computed spectra provides compelling evidence for both cases. The unique proton-transfer intermediate H5O2+(H2O)4 was identified, for the first time, by its characteristic bonded-OH stretching absorptions at 3178 cm-1. The existence of five-membe...