Observation of Electric-Field-Induced Liberation of Guest Molecules from Clathrate Hydrate
- 21 October 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
- Vol. 12 (42), 10410-10416
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02742
Abstract
Clathrate hydrates can store a high density of guest molecules in cages. However, as a gas-storage material, the controllable release of guests therefrom is still challenging. Here we report on the utilization of an electric field as a control agent. Attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) is used to investigate the release of tetrahydrofuran (THF) from the clathrate in the electrochemical double layer (EDL). When voltage is applied, the ATR-SEIRA signal from encaged THF rapidly decreases, and the water characteristic O–H absorption peak exhibits an appreciable blue-shift. Our measurements indicate a transformation of the hydrate lattice to a less H-bonded configuration at the electrode surface. In combination with previous experimental results on the orientation of water molecules in the EDL, we propose that the strong electric field in the EDL aligns the water molecules of the clathrate and distorts the hydrate lattice structure enough to release the trapped guest molecules.Funding Information
- Division of Chemistry (CHE-1665372)
- Icelandic Research Fund
This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- Nature of Hydrogen Bonding of Water Molecules in Aqueous Solutions of Glycerol by Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Infrared SpectroscopyApplied Spectroscopy, 2011
- Surface-enhanced ATR-IR spectroscopy with interface-grown plasmonic gold-island films near the percolation thresholdPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2011
- Nanostructural Silver and Gold Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Measurements Prepared by Galvanic Displacement on Germanium DisksApplied Spectroscopy, 2009
- Roles of the Ether Oxygen in Hydration of Tetrahydrofuran Studied by IR, NMR, and DFT Calculation MethodsThe Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2009
- Average molecular orientations in the adsorbed water layers on silicon oxide in ambient conditionsPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2008
- Effect of THF on Equilibrium Pressure and Dissociation Enthalpy of CO2 Hydrates Applied to Secondary RefrigerationIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2005
- Potential Dependent Organization of Water at the Electrified Metal−Liquid InterfaceJournal of the American Chemical Society, 2005
- Voltage-dependent ordering of water molecules at an electrode–electrolyte interfaceNature, 1994
- Equilibrium conditions for carbon dioxide hydrate formation in aqueous electrolyte solutionsJournal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 1993
- Surface-enhanced infrared absorption of p-nitrobenzoic acid deposited on silver island films: contributions of electromagnetic and chemical mechanismsThe Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1991