Reorientation of Deeply Cooled Water in Mesoporous Silica: NMR Studies of the Pore-Size Dependence

We apply H-2 NMR to investigate water reorientation in mesoporous silica. Using synthesized MCM-41 and purchased SBA-15 materials, we systematically study the dependence on the pore diameter. For a characterization of the properties of the silica matrices, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen gas adsorption are employed. To ascertain the thermodynamic behavior of the confined water, we utilize differential scanning calorimetry. The dynamical properties are analyzed in a broad temperature range from the weakly to the deeply cooled regime using a combination of H-2 spin-lattice relaxation and stimulated-echo experiments. We find that the reorientation of confined water is governed by prominent heterogeneity. The peak correlation time tau(p) of the distribution is independent of the pore diameter in a range of ca. 2-6 nm. It shows a dynamical crossover at similar to 220 K in all studied confinements, including wide silica pores where the effect occurs below T-m and, hence, in the two-phase region with coexisting liquid and solid water fractions. Above and below the no-man's land of water, the pore-size-independent correlation times tau(p) of confined water are consistent with those of the bulk liquid, suggesting that we probe a dynamical process that is a characteristic feature of water. We argue that none of the proposed origins of the dynamical crossover is fully consistent with all observations and discuss possible new directions.