Molecular dynamics study of aqueous solvation dynamics following OClO photoexcitation

Abstract

The solvation dynamics following photoexcitation of aqueous chlorine dioxide (OClO) are investigated by classical molecular dynamics. A total of four OClO/water models are employed, including standard and customized OClO models together with SPC/F and TIP3P water. The simulation results are used to predict the time scale of solvent-induced optical dephasing, and excellent agreement with experiment is observed. The simulations demonstrate that the solvation dynamics of aqueous OClO are dominated by the short-ranged mechanical solute–solvent interactions. When compared to the aqueous solvation of spherical solutes, the solvation dynamics of OClO exhibit a novel effect. The role of the faster translational and librational water motions is suppressed in the dielectric component of the response, but is emphasized in the mechanical response, in stark contrast to the results for other spherical systems. The faster translational motions appear in the mechanical response due to the noncentrosymmetric nature of the OClO–water interaction, enhanced by OClO–water hydrogen bonding.