Paradoxical constitutive law between donor O-H bond length and its stretching frequency in water dimer

TL;DR

This study reveals a paradoxical behavior in water dimer where the donor O-H bond length shortens as its stretching frequency redshifts, contradicting the traditional constitutive law linking bond length and vibrational frequency.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates a violation of the established constitutive law in water dimer using high-precision quantum calculations, showing the bond length and frequency change oppositely.

Findings

O-H bond length decreases with redshift in stretching frequency

Contradicts the traditional constitutive law in hydrogen bonding

Highlights the need to revise understanding of H-bond microphysics

Abstract

The constitutive laws of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) are central to understanding microphysical processes not precisely observed, especially in terms of structural properties. Previous experiences in water H-bonding revealed that as the intermolecular O...O distance shortens, the O-H stretching frequency redshifts; thus, an elongated O-H bond length can be empirically inferred, which is described as the constitutive law under the cooperative effect. Here, using the high-precision CCSD(T) method, we report a violation of the conventional constitutive law in water dimer. That is, when the variation in the O...O distance changes from stretching by 0.06 to contracting by -0.15 angstrom compared to the equilibrium position, the donor O-H bond length decreases from 0.9724 to 0.9717 angstrom, and the O-H stretching frequency redshifts from 3715 to 3708 cm-1. Our work highlights that the O-H bond length decreases simultaneously with its stretching frequency, which is clearly inconsistent with the previously recognized constitutive law.