Phonon abundance-stiffness-lifetime transition from the mode of heavy water to its confinement and hydration

Abstract

A combination of the temporally and spatially resolved phonon spectroscopy has enabled calibration of hydrogen bond transition from the vibration mode of heavy water to the core/shelled nanodroplet and the subnanosized ionic hydration shell 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 of HO (DO as a probe) bond contraction, O:H elongation, and electron polarization. The bond transition stems the solution viscosity, surface stress, and slows down the molecular dynamics. The skin reflection further hinders phonon energy dissipation and thus lengthens the phonon lifetime of the nanodroplet.