Metastable hydronium ions in UV-irradiated ice
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)
We show that the irradiation of UV light (10-11 eV) onto an ice film produces metastable hydronium (H{sub 3}O{sup +}) ions in the ice at low temperatures (53-140 K). Evidence of the presence of metastable hydronium ions was obtained by experiments involving adsorption of methylamine onto UV-irradiated ice films and hydrogen-deuterium (H/D) isotopic exchange reaction. The methylamine adsorption experiments showed that photogenerated H{sub 3}O{sup +} species transferred a proton to the methylamine arriving at the ice surface, thus producing the methyl ammonium ion, which was detected by low energy sputtering method. The H{sub 3}O{sup +} species induced the H/D exchange of water, which was monitored through the detection of water isotopomers on the surface by using the Cs{sup +} reactive ion scattering method. Thermal and temporal stabilities of H{sub 3}O{sup +} and its proton migration activity were examined. The lifetime of the hydronium ions in the amorphized ice was greater than 1 h at {approx}53 K and decreased to {approx}5 min at 140 K. Interestingly, a small portion of hydronium ions survived for an extraordinarily long time in the ice, even at 140 K. The average migration distance of protons released from H{sub 3}O{sup +} in the ice was estimated to be about two water molecules at {approx}54 K and about six molecules at 100 K. These results indicate that UV-generated hydronium ions can be efficiently stabilized in low-temperature ice. Such metastable hydronium ions may play a significant role in the acid-base chemistry of ice particles in interstellar clouds.
- OSTI ID:
- 22099120
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 137, Issue 20; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ADSORPTION
CATIONS
CESIUM IONS
DEUTERIUM
EV RANGE 01-10
EV RANGE 10-100
HYDROGEN
ICE
ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE
METASTABLE STATES
METHYLAMINE
OXONIUM IONS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PROTONS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0013-0065 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WATER