Infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy of water clusters: O–D stretching bands

Abstract

The infrared O–D stretching spectrum of fully deuterated jet-cooled water clusters is reported. Sequential red-shifts in the single donor O–D stretches, which characterize the cooperative effects in the hydrogen bond network, were accurately measured for clusters up to (D2O)8. Detailed comparisons with corresponding data obtained for (H2O)n clusters are presented. Additionally, rotational analyses of two D2O dimer bands are presented. These measurements were made possible by the advent of infrared cavity ringdown laser absorption spectroscopy (IR-CRLAS) using Raman-shifted pulsed dye lasers, which creates many new opportunities for gas phase IR spectroscopy.