Dynamics of water molecules adsorbed by silica and resin SGK-7

This paper has presented neutron spectroscopy data on the dynamics of light water molecules adsorbed in the cation exchanger (ion-exchange resin) SGK-7 and on the surface of aerosils (highly dispersed pyrogenic silica) with different levels of hydration. The measurements have been performed on a DIN-2PI spectrometer (Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia). The characteristics of the diffusive and vibrational motions of adsorbed water molecules have been determined from the experimental neutron scattering spectra. The data obtained in the quasi-elastic neutron scattering region have been analyzed using a model accounting for the effects of restricted translational and rotational diffusion. The results have demonstrated a significant decrease in the diffusion mobility of adsorbed water molecules as compared to conventional (bulk) water. In particular, the self-diffusion coefficient decreases several times, and the diffusion rate is the lower, the smaller is the thickness of the hydration layer. The dependences of the intensity and half-width of the quasi-elastic scattering peak on the magnitude of the neutron momentum transfer q in the scattering process exhibit a nonmonotonic character. This indicates manifestation of the effects of restricted translational diffusion, rotational diffusion, and jump diffusion. The partial distributions of vibrational frequencies of hydrogen atoms of water molecules adsorbed by the cation exchanger and aerosils have been obtained from the inelastic neutron scattering data.