Comparison of the Microsolvation of CaX2 (X = F, Cl, Br, I) in Water: Size-Selected Anion Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Theoretical Calculations

To understand the microsolvation of alkaline-earth dihalides in water and provide information about the dependence of solvation processes on different halides, we investigated CaBr2(H2O)(n)(-), CaI2(H2O)(n)(-), and CaF2(H2O)(n)(-) (n = 0-6) clusters using size-selected anion photoelectron spectroscopy and conducted theoretical calculations on these clusters and their neutrals. The results are compared with those of CaCl2(H2O)(n)(-/0) clusters reported previously. It is found that the vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of CaCl2(H2O)(n)(-), CaBr2(H2O)(n)(-), and CaI2(H2O)(n)(-) show a similar trend with increasing cluster size, while the VDEs of CaF2(H2O) nshow a different trend. The VDEs of CaF2(H2O)(n)(-) are much lower than those of CaCl2(H2O)(n)(-), CaBr2(H2O)(n)(-), and CaI2(H2O)(n)(-). A detailed probing of the structures shows that a significant increase of the Ca-X distance (separation of Ca2+-X- ion pair) in CaCl2(H2O)(n)(-/0), CaBr2(H2O)(n)(-/0), and CaI2(H2O)(n)(-/0) clusters occurred at about n = 5. However, for CaF2(H2O)(n)(-/0), no abrupt change of the Ca-F distance with the increasing cluster size has been observed. In CaCl2(H2O)(6)(-/0), CaBr2(H2O)(6)(-/0), and CaI2(H2O)(6)(-/0), the Ca atom coordinates directly with 5 H2O molecules. However, in CaF2(H2O)(n)(-/0), the Ca atom coordinates directly with only 2 or 3 H2O molecules. The similarity or differences in the structures and coordination numbers are consistent with the fact that CaCl2, CaBr2, and CaI2 have similar solubility, while CaF2 has much lower solubility.

Automated summary

The microsolvation of alkaline-earth dihalides in water was investigated to understand solvation processes, showing different trends in vertical detachment energies as cluster size increases for CaCl2, CaBr2, CaI2, and CaF2. Differences in structures and coordination numbers between the dihalides are consistent with their solubility variations in water.