Molecular Insight into Hydrated Protons at Charged Interfaces

The proton (H+) ion is arguably the most important cation in aqueous solution, playing a prominent, if not, vital role in a variety of biological, chemical, and geological processes.

Despite its relevance and associated long history research, the molecular structure of protons in aqueous solution remains deeply debated. One of the reasons is the large number of structural possibilities available to the proton in bulk solution.

We have recently demonstrated [Nature Com. 2020, 11, 393], however, that this situation can be very different close to selected interfaces, where the proton adopts a specific configuration, the so-called Eigen form.

This exciting new finding has opened a new window of possibilities for tracking, from a molecular perspective, the behaviour of hydrated protons at interfaces. Nonetheless, it has also triggered many additional questions on the properties of protons next to charged interfaces.

This project aims to address many of these pressing questions, and in particular, probe the generality of the observed behaviour. Molecular information from the interfacial region will be obtained using vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy. Collaborations with leading theoretical and simulation groups are envisioned to extend the implications of the results.

Support is mainly sought to finance a three years postdoctoral position.

The results are expected to substantially improve our understanding of protons at interfaces and potentially spark a new area of research