June 04, 2024
[Press Release] Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of isolated water molecules within aqueous acetonitrile solutions
Release Summary
Herein, the O K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) profile of an aqueous acetonitrile solution presented a distinct sharp peak not commonly observed in the corresponding profile of liquid water. Inner-shell calculations coupled with molecular dynamics simulations revealed that this sharp peak originated from isolated water molecules surrounded by acetonitrile molecules, rather than from water clusters. Hence, O K-edge XAS could facilitate the electronic-structural analysis of isolated water molecules, differentiating their contributions from those of small water clusters.