Reorientational diffusion

Lastly, we consider the diffusive contribution to the signal. Since this portion of the signal arises from molecular reorientation, it should be completely depolarized unless these diffusive reorientational dynamics also have a significant DID component. The orientational decay will be made up of exponential components, the number of which depends on the molecular symmetry and the relationship between the principal axes of the diffusion and polarizability tensors of the molecules (8). If these tensors share no axes, the orientational decay will be composed of a sum of five exponentials. If the tensors share one axis, the decay will be composed of three exponentials. If the tensors share all three axes, the decay will be composed of two exponentials. If the molecule is further a symmetric top, then reorientation about the axis of symmetry cannot be observed, and the decay will be composed of a single exponential. In principle, considerably more information is available when the principal axes of the diffusion and polarizability tensors are not shared however, in practice it is virtually impossible to find a unique fit to the sum of five exponentials, some of which may have very small amplitudes. In the remainder of this chapter we will therefore concentrate on symmetric-top liquids. 

Once the diffusive reorientation contribution has been subtracted from the deconvolved time-domain response, a final Fourier transform yields the intermolecular spectrum (often referred to as the reduced spectral density). 

The depolarized LS spectrum on the same sample obtained by the double monochromator are shown in Fig. lb. The insert shows a spectrum obtained by the tandem interferometer. It consists of a very strong peak around the center and the weak shoulders at both sides. The former is called a central mode and comes from the diffusive reorientation process, while the latter is called a low-frequency phonon mode and comes from the librational motion of the molecule around its mean confi ration. 

Comparable behavior has been observed by Payer et al. in a series of subpicosecond transient grating optical Kerr effect measurements on the reorientation of byphenyl molecules in neat biphenyl and n-heptane solutions [66,67]. They have shown that on the ultrafast timescale (r < 2 ps) the dynamics of the probe is controlled by librational motions having an inertial character, although diffusive reorientational relaxation of the whole molecule and internal torsional motions can also have a role. 

Dielectric measurements of gas adsorption systems can be performed fairly quickly, typically within a few seconds [6.3]. Hence the kinetics of adsorption processes being slow on this time scale can be observed. Indeed these processes are sometimes invisible to purely manometric or even gravimetric measurements. As examples we mention internal diffusion, reorientation or catalytically induced chemical reaction processes of admolecules within a sorbent material. The mass of the adsorbed phase normally is constant during processes of this type, whereas the dipole moment of the admolecules and hence their polarization changes, cp. Sect. 3.2. 

The figure shows that the Lorentzian fits represent the spectra very well at all temperatures, thus justifying the assumption that the rotation about a single axis basically shapes the spectral line. This justifies also the assumption that the motion is essentially a diffusive reorientation of this axis. Under these conditions we can calculate the reorientation time from the linewidth T0 by means of the equation ... 

Dynamic information such as reorientational correlation functions and diffusion constants for the ions can readily be obtained. Collective properties such as viscosity can also be calculated in principle, but it is difficult to obtain accurate results in reasonable simulation times. Single-particle properties such as diffusion constants can be determined more easily from simulations. Figure 4.3-4 shows the mean square displacements of cations and anions in dimethylimidazolium chloride at 400 K. The rapid rise at short times is due to rattling of the ions in the cages of neighbors. The amplitude of this motion is about 0.5 A. After a few picoseconds the mean square displacement in all three directions is a linear function of time and the slope of this portion of the curve gives the diffusion constant. These diffusion constants are about a factor of 10 lower than those in normal molecular liquids at room temperature. 

Models for description of liquids should provide us with an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the molecules, and thus of the routes of chemical reactions in the liquids. While it is often relatively easy to describe the molecular structure and dynamics of the gaseous or the solid state, this is not true for the liquid state. Molecules in liquids can perform vibrations, rotations, and translations. A successful model often used for the description of molecular rotational processes in liquids is the rotational diffusion model, in which it is assumed that the molecules rotate by small angular steps about the molecular rotation axes. One quantity to describe the rotational speed of molecules is the reorientational correlation time T, which is a measure for the average time elapsed when a molecule has rotated through an angle of the order of 1 radian, or approximately 60°. It is indirectly proportional to the velocity of rotational motion. 

As the density of a gas increases, free rotation of the molecules is gradually transformed into rotational diffusion of the molecular orientation. After unfreezing , rotational motion in molecular crystals also transforms into rotational diffusion. Although a phenomenological description of rotational diffusion with the Debye theory [1] is universal, the gas-like and solid-like mechanisms are different in essence. In a dense gas the change of molecular orientation results from a sequence of short free rotations interrupted by collisions [2], In contrast, reorientation in solids results from jumps between various directions defined by a crystal structure, and in these orientational sites libration occurs during intervals between jumps. We consider these mechanisms to be competing models of molecular rotation in liquids. The only way to discriminate between them is to compare the theory with experiment, which is mainly spectroscopic. 

Although long-time Debye relaxation proceeds exponentially, short-time deviations are detectable which represent inertial effects (free rotation between collisions) as well as interparticle interaction during collisions. In Debye s limit the spectra have already collapsed and their Lorentzian centre has a width proportional to the rotational diffusion coefficient. In fact this result is model-independent. Only shape analysis of the far wings can discriminate between different models of molecular reorientation and explain the high-frequency pecularities of IR and FIR spectra (like Poley absorption). In the conclusion of Chapter 2 we attract the readers attention to the solution of the inverse problem which is the extraction of the angular momentum correlation function from optical spectra of liquids. 

The orientation of linear rotators in space is defined by a single vector directed along a molecular axis. The orientation of this vector and the angular momentum may be specified within the limits set by the uncertainty relation. In a rarefied gas angular momentum is well conserved at least during the free path. In a dense liquid it is a molecule s orientation that is kept fixed to a first approximation. Since collisions in dense gas and liquid change the direction and rate of rotation too often, the rotation turns into a process of small random walks of the molecular axis. Consequently, reorientation of molecules in a liquid may be considered as diffusion of the symmetry axis in angular space, as was first done by Debye [1],... 

Relations (2.46) and (2.47) are equivalent formulations of the fact that, in a dense medium, increase in frequency of collisions retards molecular reorientation. As this fact was established by Hubbard within Langevin phenomenology [30] it is compatible with any sort of molecule-neighbourhood interaction (binary or collective) that results in diffusion of angular momentum. In the gas phase it is related to weak collisions only. On the other hand, the perturbation theory derivation of the Hubbard relation shows that it is valid for dense media but only for collisions of arbitrary strength. Hence the Hubbard relation has a more general and universal character than that originally accredited to it. 

Gillen K. T., Douglas D. S., Malmberg M. S., Maryott A. A. NMR relaxation study of liquid CCI3F. Reorientational and angular momentum correlation times and rotational diffusion, J. Chem. Phys. 57, 5170-9 (1972). 

Eagles T. E., McClung R. E. D. Reorientational correlation functions and memory functions in the. /-diffusion limit of the extended rotational diffusion model, Chem. Phys. Lett. 22, 414-18 (1973). 

Computer simulations therefore have several inter-related objectives. In the long term one would hope that molecular level simulations of structure and bonding in liquid crystal systems would become sufficiently predictive so as to remove the need for costly and time-consuming synthesis of many compounds in order to optimise certain properties. In this way, predictive simulations would become a routine tool in the design of new materials. Predictive, in this sense, refers to calculations without reference to experimental results. Such calculations are said to be from first principles or ab initio. As a step toward this goal, simulations of properties at the molecular level can be used to parametrise interaction potentials for use in the study of phase behaviour and condensed phase properties such as elastic constants, viscosities, molecular diffusion and reorientational motion with maximum specificity to real systems. Another role of ab initio computer simulation lies in its interaction... 

Here the vector rj represents the centre of mass position, and D is usually averaged over several time origins to to improve statistics. Values for D can be resolved parallel and perpendicular to the director to give two components (D//, Dj ), and actual values are summarised for a range of studies in Table 3 of [45]. Most studies have found diffusion coefficients in the 10 m s range with the ratio D///Dj between 1.59 and 3.73 for calamitic liquid crystals. Yakovenko and co-workers have carried out a detailed study of the reorientational motion in the molecule PCH5 [101]. Their results show that conformational molecular flexibility plays an important role in the dynamics of the molecule. They also show that cage models can be used to fit the reorientational correlation functions of the molecule. 

This simple relaxation theory becomes invalid, however, if motional anisotropy, or internal motions, or both, are involved. Then, the rotational correlation-time in Eq. 30 is an effective correlation-time, containing contributions from reorientation about the principal axes of the rotational-diffusion tensor. In order to separate these contributions, a physical model to describe the manner by which a molecule tumbles is required. Complete expressions for intramolecular, dipolar relaxation-rates for the three classes of spherical, axially symmetric, and asymmetric top molecules have been evaluated by Werbelow and Grant, in order to incorporate into the relaxation theory the appropriate rotational-diffusion model developed by Woess-ner. Methyl internal motion has been treated in a few instances, by using the equations of Woessner and coworkers to describe internal rotation superimposed on the overall, molecular tumbling. Nevertheless, if motional anisotropy is present, it is wiser not to attempt a quantitative determination of interproton distances from measured, proton relaxation-rates, although semiquantitative conclusions are probably justified by neglecting motional anisotropy, as will be seen in the following Section. 

The experimental data bearing on the question of the effect of different metals and different crystal orientations on the properties of the metal-electrolyte interface have been discussed by Hamelin et al.27 The results of capacitance measurements for seven sp metals (Ag, Au, Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, and Bi) in aqueous electrolytes are reviewed. The potential of zero charge is derived from the maximum of the capacitance. Subtracting the diffuse-layer capacitance, one derives the inner-layer capacitance, which, when plotted against surface charge, shows a maximum close to qM = 0. This maximum, which is almost independent of crystal orientation, is explained in terms of the reorientation of water molecules adjacent to the metal surface. Interaction of different faces of metal with water, ions, and organic molecules inside the outer Helmholtz plane are discussed, as well as adsorption. 

Loutfy and coworkers [29, 30] assumed a different mechanism of interaction between the molecular rotor molecule and the surrounding solvent. The basic assumption was a proportionality of the diffusion constant D of the rotor in a solvent and the rotational reorientation rate kOI. Deviations from the Debye-Stokes-Einstein hydrodynamic model were observed, and Loutfy and Arnold [29] found that the reorientation rate followed a behavior analogous to the Gierer-Wirtz model [31]. The Gierer-Wirtz model considers molecular free volume and leads to a power-law relationship between the reorientation rate and viscosity. The molecular free volume can be envisioned as the void space between the packed solvent molecules, and Doolittle found an empirical relationship between free volume and viscosity [32] (6),... 

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