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Ultrafast vibrational energy transfer at the water/air interface revealed by two-dimensional surface vibrational spectroscopy

Nature Chemistry volume 3, pages 888–893 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Water is very different from liquids of similar molecular weight, and one of its unique properties is the very efficient transfer of vibrational energy between molecules, which arises as a result of strong dipole–dipole interactions between the O–H oscillators. Although we have a sound understanding of such energy transfer in bulk water, we know less about how, and how quickly, transfer occurs at its interface with a hydrophobic phase, because specifically addressing the outermost monolayer is difficult. Here, we use ultrafast two-dimensional surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy to probe the interfacial energy dynamics of heavy water (D2O) at the water/air interface. The measurements reveal the presence of surprisingly rapid energy transfer, both between hydrogen-bonded interfacial water molecules (intermolecular), and between O–D groups sticking out from the water surface and those located on the same molecule and pointing towards the water bulk (intramolecular). Vibrational energy transfer occurs on sub-picosecond timescales, and its rates and pathways can be quantified directly.

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Figure 1: Experimental scheme for 2D-SFG spectroscopy.
Figure 2: 2D-SFG spectroscopy of the D2O water/air interface.
Figure 3: 2D-SFG spectra of the D2O water/air interface at various delay times after the excitation.
Figure 4: Ultrafast intramolecular energy transfer within interfacial water molecules.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Versluis and M. Jan van Zadel for their expert help and support and I. Cerjak for providing graphics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. FOM-Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, Amsterdam, 1098 XG, The Netherlands

    Zhen Zhang, Lukasz Piatkowski, Huib J. Bakker & Mischa Bonn

  2. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz, 55128, Germany

    Mischa Bonn

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  1. Zhen Zhang
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  2. Lukasz Piatkowski
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  3. Huib J. Bakker
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  4. Mischa Bonn
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Contributions

M.B. and H.J.B. designed the research project. Z.Z. and L.P. performed the experiments. M.B., Z.Z. and L.P. analysed the data. M.B. wrote the manuscript. All authors discussed the results, designed experiments and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mischa Bonn.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Zhang, Z., Piatkowski, L., Bakker, H. et al. Ultrafast vibrational energy transfer at the water/air interface revealed by two-dimensional surface vibrational spectroscopy. Nature Chem 3, 888–893 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1158

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