Infrared Spectrum of the Hydrated Proton in Water

Reactive molecular dynamics simulations have been utilized to calculate the infrared (IR) spectra of acidic HCl solutions of varying concentration with the goal of achieving a better understanding of the spectral features of the hydrated excess protons in bulk water. To incorporate the essential physics of the hydrated proton, we carried out the simulations using the specialized self-consistent iterative multistate empirical valence bond (SCI-MS-EVB) method, which is a form of multiconfigurational (reactive) molecular dynamics. After the pure water absorption background was removed, the calculated differences spectra are in good agreement with prior experimental results. The continuous broad absorption band in the acidic IR spectrum is, for the first time, interpreted based on the concept of a dynamically distorted Eigen cation, H9O4+, which has been shown to provide the most accurate description for the charge defect character of the hydrated excess proton in liquid water.