Journal
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04481-5
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Funding
- excellence cluster 'The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging - Structure, Dynamics and Control of Matter at the Atomic Scale' of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [EXC 1074]
- priority program QUTIF of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [SPP1840 SOLSTICE]
- European XFEL
- ONCPR fellowship from China
- Helmholtz Association
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Reaction pathways of biochemical processes are influenced by the dissipative electrostatic interaction of the reagents with solvent water molecules. The simulation of these interactions requires a parametrization of the permanent and induced dipole moments. However, the underlying molecular polarizability of water and its dependence on ions are partially unknown. Here, we apply intense terahertz pulses to liquid water, whose oscillations match the timescale of orientational relaxation. Using a combination of terahertz pump / optical probe experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and a Langevin dynamics model, we demonstrate a transient orientation of their dipole moments, not possible by optical excitation. The resulting birefringence reveals that the polarizability of water is lower along its dipole moment than the average value perpendicular to it. This anisotropy, also observed in heavy water and alcohols, increases with the concentration of sodium iodide dissolved in water. Our results enable a more accurate parametrization and a benchmarking of existing and future water models.
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