Spectroscopic and NMR identification of novel hydride ions in fractional quantum energy states formed by an exothermic reaction of atomic hydrogen with certain catalysts

Abstract

2K+ to K + K2+ and K to K3+ provide a reaction with a net enthalpy equal to one and three times the potential energy of atomic hydrogen, respectively. The presence of these gaseous ions or atoms with thermally dissociated hydrogen formed a so-called resonance transfer (rt)-plasma having strong VUV emission with a stationary inverted Lyman population. Significant line broadening of the Balmer , , and lines of 18 eV was observed, compared to 3–4 eV from a hydrogen microwave plasma. Emission from rt-plasmas occurred even when the electric field applied to the plasma was zero. The reaction was exothermic since excess power of 20 mW cm−3 was measured by Calvet calorimetry. An energetic catalytic reaction was proposed involving a resonant energy transfer between hydrogen atoms and 2K+ or K to form very stable novel hydride ions H−(1/p) called hydrino hydrides having a fractional principal quantum numbers p = 2 and p = 4, respectively. Characteristic emission was observed from K2+ and K3+ that confirmed the resonant nonradiative energy transfer of 27.2 eV and 3 × 27.2 eV from atomic hydrogen to 2K+ and K, respectively. The product hydride ion H−(1/4) was observed spectroscopically at 110 nm corresponding to its predicted binding energy of 11.2 eV. The 1H MAS NMR spectrum of novel compound KH*Cl relative to external tetramethylsilane (TMS) showed a large distinct upfield resonance at −4.4 corresponding to an absolute resonance shift of −35.9 ppm that matched the theoretical prediction of p = 4. A novel peak of KH*I at −1.5 ppm relative to TMS corresponding to an absolute resonance shift of –33.0 ppm matched the theoretical prediction of p = 2. The predicted catalyst reactions, position of the upfield-shifted NMR peaks for H−(1/4) and H−(1/2), and spectroscopic data for H−(1/4) were found to be in agreement with the experimental observations as well as previously reported spectroscopic data for H−(1/2) and analysis of KH*Cl and KH*I containing these hydride ions.