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Title: Cation-water interactions. The M[sup +](H[sub 2]O)[sub n] clusters for alkali metals, M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100010a015· OSTI ID:6455422
;  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

Gas-phase binding energies and enthalpies are reported for small M[sup +](H[sub 2]O)[sub n] clusters consisting of an alkali metal cation (Li[sup +], Na[sup +], K[sup +], Rb[sup +], or Cs[sup +]) with one to six water molecules. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were performed at the RHF and MP2 levels of theory with split valence basis sets (3-21G, 6-31+G* with effective core potentials for the heavier alkali metals). Comparison with higher level calculations and with experimentally measured bond dissociation energies suggests that the RHF/6-31+G* method provides a reasonable description of cation-water interactions in the smallest (n = 1-3) clusters. Larger clusters, particularly those that involve water-water hydrogen-bonding interactions, require a correlated treatment at the MP2 level. This study serves to calibrate the RHF/6-31+G* and MP2/6-31+G* methods for applications to cation-ligand interactions in more extended systems (e.g., the ion-selective binding of crown ethers and cryptands) for which calculations at higher levels of theory are not currently feasible. 33 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830; FG06-89ER75522
OSTI ID:
6455422
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 99:10; ISSN 0022-3654
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English