Decomposition of the Experimental Raman and Infrared Spectra of Acidic Water into Proton, Special Pair, and Counterion Contributions

Textbooks describe excess protons in liquid water as hydronium (H3O+) ions, although their true structure remains lively debated. To address this question, we have combined Raman and infrared (IR) multivariate curve resolution spectroscopy with ab initio molecular dynamics and anharmonic vibrational spectroscopic calculations. Our results are used to resolve, for the first time, the vibrational spectra of hydrated protons and counterions and reveal that there is little ion-pairing below 2 M. Moreover, we find that isolated excess protons are strongly IR active and nearly Raman inactive (with vibrational frequencies of similar to 1500 +/- 500 cm(-1)), while flanking water OH vibrations are both IR and Raman active (with higher frequencies of similar to 2500 +/- 500 cm(-1)). The emerging picture is consistent with Georg Zundel's seminal work, as well as recent ultrafast dynamics studies, leading to the conclusion that protons in liquid water are primarily hydrated by two flanking water molecules, with a broad range of proton hydrogen bond lengths and asymmetries.