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It has been a long pursuit to discriminate the ionic roles of mono- and di-valent salt solutions in modulating the hydrogen bonding network and solution properties. We attended this issue by examining the effect of concentrated YX 2 (Y[dbnd]Mg, Ca, Sr; X[dbnd]Cl, Br) solvation on O:H–O bonds transition from the mode of ordinary water to hydration in terms of the number fraction f YX2 (C) and the segmental O:H–O bond phonon stiffness shift Δω(C) with C being the solute concentration. The invariant df Y (C) / dC at C ≤

The presence of the nonbonding XH tension constrains and the presence of the anti or super hydrogen bond fosters the explosion in aqueous alkali and molten alkali halides; the combination of the coupled hydrogen bond and the repulsive anti or super hydrogen bond not only stabilzes the structure but also stores energy of the energetic molecular assemblies by shortening all covalent bonds., Comment: 4 figure, 3500 works

Density functional computation revealed that in YOH solvation (Y = Li, Na, and K), the Y+ cation locates eccentrically at the interstitial hollow site to form the Y+·4H2O unit, and the hydroxyl adds an excessive electron lone pair ":" to form a OH-·H2O unit where the hydroxide stays in the the center. The surrounding four oriented H2O neighbors interact with the Y+ through Y+ ↔ H+ repulsion and Y+:O2- attraction, causing the Y+ eccentric dislocation by some 0.80 A. The ":" turns one O:H-O bond into the O: ⇔ :O super hydrogen bond by altering H2O·4H2O into HO-·4H2O. The repulsive Y+ ↔ H+ enlarges its separation and the attractive Y+:O shortens itself, showing the anisotropic polarization of the Y+ cation. The anisotropic Y+ polarizability, O: ⇔ :O compressibility, and the H-O bond contraction of the solute OH- distorts the solute bonding network and disperses the O:H-O segmental phonon frequencies, as confirmed spectroscopically.

Solvation of aldehydes and formic acids has an important impact to health care because these additives can damage DNA and denature proteins causing cancers with the mechanism behind remaining great challenge. From the perspective of solvent hydrogen bond (O:HO or HB with “:” being the electron lone pair of oxygen) transition from the mode of the ordinary water to the hydrating states, we examined the solvation bonding dynamics and the solute capabilities of O:HO bond and surface stress transition using differential Raman spectroscopy and contact angle detection. Results suggest that besides the short-range O:H van der Waals (vdW) bond, the H ↔ H and O: ⇔ :O repulsive intermolecular interactions, and the molecular dipolar polarization play important roles in disrupting the solution network and surface stress. Observations may infer the manner of DNA fragmentation by aldehyde and formic acid disruption. Accepted version

Raman phonon differential spectrometrics (DPS) and contact angle measurements resolved that solvation of the NaX (X = HSO4, NO3, ClO4, SCN) complex salts stiffens the H O stretching phonon from 3200 to ~ 3500 cm− 1 and softens the O:H nonbond phonon from 180 to ~ 70 cm− 1 with rising of solution surface stress. The solute capability of bond transition in terms of the fraction coefficient, follows the relation, fNaX(C) ∝ 1-exp(− C/C0) towards saturation, with C being the solute concentration and C0 the decay constant. Observations evidence that: (i) the solute ionic field electrification aligns, stretches, and polarizes its neighboring H2O molecules, which shortens the H O bond but lengthens the O:H nonbond via O O Coulomb repulsion; (ii) the effect of X− electrification on the O:H O bond relaxation varies with solute type and solute concentration. Exercises not only verify the essentiality of solvent O:H O bond cooperative relaxation and polarization but also demonstrate the power of DPS that resolves processes occurred upon solvation.

Solvation of acid, base, and salt is ubiquitously important to all subject areas in chemistry, health care and life science. However, fine resolution of the solvation dynamics, solute-solvent molecular interactions, and solute capability of transforming the hydrogen bond (O:H O, or HB) and surface stress remain great challenge. Incorporating the notion of O:H O bond cooperativity with a strategy of differential phonon spectroscopy (DPS) has enabled resolution on the fraction and stiffness of the solvent HB from the mode of water to the hydration shells upon NaOH, NaI and HI solvation. Results show that Na+ and I+ ionic polarization shortens the H O bond and stiffens its phonon from 3200 to 3500 cm− 1 in the hydration shells. The H+ in the HI solution forms a H ↔ H anti-HB that disrupts the solution network and surface stress. The excessive electron lone pairs of OH– form the O : ⇔ : O super-HB that compresses the network, sharing the same effect of mechanical compression shifting the H O phonon from above 3100 cm− 1 to its below; the solute H O bond performs the same to the H O dangling bond at surface featured at 3610 cm− 1. The fraction coefficients or phonon abundance transition, fH = 0, fHO ∝ C, and fx ∝ 1-exp(− C/C0) (x = Na+ and I− and C the solute concentration) towards saturation, feature the solute capability of HB transformation. Practice not only confirms the essentiality of the H ↔ H anti-HB point fragilization, the O : ⇔ : O super-HB point compression, and the ionic polarization to the performance of the respective HI, NaOH, and NaI solutions, but also demonstrate the power of the DPS that enables fine-resolution of solvation dynamics and solute capabilities.

Charge injection in terms of lone pairs ‘:’, protons, and ions upon acid and base solvation mediates the hydrogen bonding network and properties of Lewis solutions, and is ubiquitously important in many subject areas of Chemical Physics. This work features the recent progress and future trends in this aspect with a focus on the solute–solvent interactions and hydrogen bond (O:H–O or HB) transition from the vibration mode of ordinary water to the hydrating states. A combination of the O:H–O bond cooperativity notion, differential phonon spectrometrics, calorimetric detection, and quantum computations clarified the solute capabilities of O:H–O bond transition in HX and YOH (X = Cl, Br, I and Y = Li, Na, K) solutions. The H+ and the lone pair do not stay alone to move or shuttle freely between adjacent H2O molecules, but they are attached to a H2O molecule to form (H3O+ and OH−)·4H2O tetrahedral motifs, which transits an O:H–O bond into the H↔H anti-HB point breaker in acidic solutions and into the O:⇔:O super-HB compressor and polarizer in basic solutions, respectively. H↔H disrupts the solvent network and surface stress, having the same effect of liquid heating on HB bond relaxation and thermal fluctuation on surface stress. The O:⇔:O compression lengthens and weakens the solute H–O bond, which heats up the solution during solvation. The H–O bonds due to H3O+ contract by 3% and due to OH− shrink by 10%. The Y+ and X− ions perform in the same manner as they do in salt solutions to form hydration shells through electrostatic polarization and hydrating H2O dipolar screen shielding. Focusing more on the O:H–O bond transition would be even more promising and revealing than on the manner and mobility of lone pair and proton transportation.

A combination of the spatially- and temporally-resolved phonon spectroscopies has enabled calibration of hydrogen bond transition from the vibration mode of heavy water to the core-shell structured nanodroplets and to the ionic hydration shells of salt solutions in terms of phonon abundance-lifetime-stiffness. It is uncovered that charge injection by salt solvation and skin formation by molecular undercoordination (often called confinement) share the same supersolidity characterized by H–O (D–O as a probe) bond contraction, O:H nonbond elongation, and polarization. Such a process of bond transition stems the solution viscosity, surface stress, and slowing down of the molecular dynamics and diffusivity. The nanodroplet skin reflection further hinders phonon energy dissipation associated with longer D–O phonon lifetime. Financial support received from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11872052(YL); 21875024(CQ)), the Science Challenge Project (No. TZ2016001) of China is acknowledged.

Supersolidity of ice, which was proposed in 2013 and intensively verified since then [C. Q. Sun et al., Density, Elasticity, and Stability Anomalies of Water Molecules with Fewer than Four Neighbors, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2013, 4, 2565-2570; C. Q. Sun et al., Density and phonon-stiffness anomalies of water and ice in the full temperature range, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2013, 4, 3238-3244], refers to the water molecules being polarized by molecular undercoordination, which is associated with the skin of bulk ice, nanobubbles, and nanodroplets (often called confinement), or by the electrostatic field of ions in salt solutions [X. Zhang et al., Mediating relaxation and polarization of hydrogen-bonds in water by NaCl salting and heating, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16(45), 24666-24671; C. Q. Sun et al., (H, Li)Br and LiOH solvation bonding dynamics: molecular nonbond interactions and solute extraordinary capabilities, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2018, 122(3), 1228-1238]. From the perspective of hydrogen bond (O:H-O or HB with ":" representing the lone pairs on O2-) cooperative relaxation and polarization, this review features the recent progress and recommends future trends in understanding the bond-electron-phonon correlation in the supersolid phase. Supersolidity is characterized by a shorter and stiffer H-O bond, longer and softer O:H nonbond, deeper O 1s energy band, and longer photoelectron and phonon lifetimes. The supersolid phase is less dense, viscoelastic, and mechanically and thermally more stable. Furthermore, O:H-O bond cooperative relaxation offsets the boundaries of structural phases and increases the melting point while lowering the freezing temperature of ice, which is known as supercooling and superheating. Accepted version

Aqueous charge injection in forms of electrons, protons, lone pairs, ions, and molecular dipoles by solvation is ubiquitously important to our health and life. Pursuing fine-resolution detection and consistent insight into solvation dynamics and solute capabilities has become an increasingly active subject. This treatise shows that charge injection by solvation mediates the O:H–O bonding network and properties of a solution through O:H formation, H↔H frag-ilization, O:⇐⇒:O compression, electrostatic polarization, H 2 O dipo-lar shielding, solute–solute interaction, and undercoordinated H–O bond contraction. A combination of the hydrogen bond (O:H–O or HB with ‘:’ being the electron lone pairs of oxygen) cooperativity notion and the differential phonon spectrometrics (DPS) has enabled quantitative information on the following: (i) the number fraction and phonon stiffness of HBs transiting from the mode of ordinary water to hydration; (ii) solute–solvent and solute–solute molecular nonbond interactions; and (iii) interdependence of skin stress, solution viscosity, molecular diffusivity, solvation thermodynamics, and critical pressures and temperatures for phase transitions. An examination of solvation dynamics has clarified the following: (i) the excessive protons create the H↔H or anti-HB point breaker to disrupt the acidic solution network and surface stress. (ii) The excessive lone pairs generate the O:⇐⇒:O or super–HB point compressor to shorten the O:H nonbond but lengthen the H–O bond in H 2 O 2 and basic solutions; yet, bond-order-deficiency shortens and stiffens the H–O bond due H 2 O 2 and OH − solutes. (iii) Ions serve each as a charge center that aligns, clusters, stretches, and polarizes their neighboring HBs to form hydration shells. (iv) Solvation of alcohols, aldehydes, complex salts, carboxylic and formic acids, glycine, and sugars distorts the solute–solvent interface structures with the involvement of the anti-HB or the super-HB. Extending the knowledge and strategies to catalysis, solution–protein, drug–cell, liquid–solid, colloid–matrix interactions and molecular crystals would be even more fascinating and rewarding.

The resultant energy of solvent H–O bond exothermic elongation by O:⇔:O repulsion, featured at 150% the O:H cohesive energy of 0.095 eV that caps the energy dissipating by molecular motion, thermal fluctuation, diffusion, and even evaporation. Therefore, the intramolecular H–O bond relaxation dictates the OH − solvation bonding thermodynamics and the performance of basic solutions. Accepted version

An incorporation of the hydrogen bond (O:H O or HB) cooperativity notion, contact angle detection, and the differential phonon spectrometrics (DPS) has enabled us to gain refined information on the HCl, KCl and KOH solvation resolved solute-solvent molecular interactions and the solution surface stresses. Results show that ionic polarization stiffens the solvent H O bond phonon from 3200 to 3480 cm −1 in the hydration shells. The HO − in alkaline solution, however, shares not only the same H O phonon redshift of compressed water from 3200 to −1 but also the dangling bonds of H 2 O surface featured at 3610 cm −1 . Salt and alkaline solvation enhances the solution surface stress by K + and Cl − ionic polarization. The excessive H + proton in acid solution forms a H↔H anti-HB that depresses the solution surface stress, instead. The solute capability of transforming the fraction of the O:H O bonds of the solvent matrix is featured by: f H = 0 and f x ∝ 1-exp(-C/C 0 ) (x = HO − , K + and Cl − ) towards saturation. Exercises not only confirm the presence of the H↔H anti-HB point fragilization, the O:⇔:O super-HB point compression, and ionic polarization dominating the performance of the respective HCl, KOH, and KCl solutions, but also demonstrate the power of the DPS that enables high resolution of solute-solute-solvent interactions and correlation between HB relaxation and solution surface stress.