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Hydronium Hydroxide at Platinum Interfaces


EMSL Project ID
25446

Abstract

Hydronium hydroxide is in principle a very high-energy form of water. Normally it is considered too unstable to exist. Recent work at PNNL finds a particularly stable form of water adsorbed on a platinum surface, stable up to 200K. This may be a form of hydrated hydronium hydroxide. It is produced only under multilayer ice films at temperatures above 160K, and consists of about 3 monolayers of water, possible partially dissociated. We propose to look at the infrared spectrum by reflectance FTIR, and later by low-energy Cs ion secondary mass spectrometry, to characterize this system. The system would be of considerable general interest. It also would be of particular relevant to DOE concerns about energy conversion and storage (for example, as illustrated in their recent calls for proposal on solar energy conversion and on hydrogen production). It should be amenable to theoretical analysis to assess the stability and suggest possible structures. The work requires the EMSL facilities to both prepare and study the material, and would take advantage of the in-house expertise on the water-Pt system. A theoretical collaboration is a possibility as well (in house or external).

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2007-06-01
End Date
2008-08-13
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

James Cowin
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Aaron Endres
Institution
Central Washington University

Martin Iedema
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Yigal Lilach
Institution
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Related Publications

Lilach Y, MJ Iedema, and JP Cowin. 2008. "Proton segregation on a Growing Ice Interface." Surface Science 602(17):2886-2893.
Wang H, RC Bell, MJ Iedema, GK Schenter, K Wu, and JP Cowin. 2008. "Pyroelectricity of Water Ice." Journal of Physical Chemistry B 112(20):6379-6389. doi:10.1021/jp073870c