Temperature effects on the C-H symmetric stretching vibrational frequencies of guest hydrocarbon molecules in 512, 51262 and 51264 cages of sI and sII clathrate hydrates.

ABSTRACT

C-H symmetric stretching vibrational frequencies of CH4, C2H4 and C2H6 molecules encapsulated in 512, 51262 and 51264 cages of structures I (sI) and II (sII) clathrate hydrates measured by Raman spectroscopy in the temperature range of 93-183 K was analysed. The slopes of the symmetric stretch vibrational frequencies under changing temperatures (Δv/ΔT) for CH4, C2H4 and C2H6 molecules encapsulated in sII 51264 cages were smaller than those for molecules in sI 51262 cages, although sI 51262 cages are smaller than sII 51264 cages. We compared the results of Δv/ΔT in this study with the geometrical properties of each host water cage, and these comparisons suggest that the geometry of host water cages affects Δv/ΔT.