Stepwise Formation Of H3o+(H2o)(N) In An Ion Drift Tube: Empirical Effective Temperature Of Association/Dissociation Reaction Equilibrium In An Electric Field

We measured equilibrium constants for H3O+(H2O)(n-1) + H2O <-> H3O+(H2O)(n) (n = 4-9) reactions taking place in an ion drift tube with various applied electric fields at gas temperatures of 238-330 K. The zero-field reaction equilibrium constants were determined by extrapolation of those obtained at non-zero electric fields. From the zero-field reaction equilibrium constants, the standard enthalpy and entropy changes, Delta H-n,n-1(0) and Delta S-n, n-1(0), of stepwise association for n = 4-8 were derived and were in reasonable agreement with those measured in previous studies. We also examined the electric field dependence of the reaction equilibrium constants at non-zero electric fields for n = 4-8. An effective temperature for the reaction equilibrium constants at non-zero electric field was empirically obtained using a parameter describing the electric field dependence of the reaction equilibrium constants. Furthermore, the size dependence of the parameter was thought to reflect the evolution of the hydrogen-bond structure of H3O+(H2O)(n) with the cluster size. The reflection of structural information in the electric field dependence of the reaction equilibria is particularly noteworthy. Published by AIP Publishing.