Crystallization kinetics of amorphous acetonitrile nanoscale films.

We measure the isothermal crystallization kinetics of amorphous acetonitrile films using molecular beam dosing and reflection adsorption infrared spectroscopy techniques. Experiments on a graphene covered Pt(111) substrate revealed that the crystallization rate slows dramatically during long time periods and that the overall kinetics cannot be described by a simple application of the Avrami equation. The crystallization kinetics also have a thickness dependence with the thinner films crystallizing much slower than the thicker ones. Additional experiments showed that decane layers at both the substrate and vacuum interfaces can also affect the crystallization rates. A comparison of the crystallization rates for CH3CN and CD3CN films showed only an isotope effect of ∼1.09. When amorphous films were deposited on a crystalline film, the crystalline layer did not act as a template for the formation of a crystalline growth front. These overall results suggest that the crystallization kinetics are complicated, indicating the possibility of multiple nucleation and growth mechanisms.

Morphology of Vapor-Deposited Acetonitrile Films.

Crystalline acetonitrile has two polymorphs, a high-temperature (HT) phase that is stable between 217 K and its melting point at 229 K and a low-temperature (LT) phase that is stable below 217 K. Solid acetonitrile films can be prepared by vapor deposition in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. To prevent sublimation of the film, temperatures are often kept below 150 K. While the LT phase is thermodynamically favored at these low temperatures, such preparation usually results in the formation of the metastable HT polymorph. In this work we use reflection adsorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments to investigate the effects of the deposition temperature and underlying substrate on the morphology of acetonitrile films prepared with molecular beam deposition. We obtained the elusive LT phase when dosing at 120 K on a graphene substrate and on a crystalline decane layer. Dosing acetonitrile on other surfaces produced the HT phase, as did annealing of amorphous films. We used TPD experiments to determine the Gibbs energy difference between the HT and the LT phases. Our ΔG values agree with extrapolation of equilibrium calorimetry data. We also observed that acetonitrile films were amorphous when dosed at temperatures ≤ 60 K and porous for temperatures ≤ 50 K.

Adsorption and reaction of methanol on Fe3O4(001).

The interaction of methanol with iron oxide surfaces is of interest due to its potential in hydrogen storage and from a fundamental perspective as a chemical probe of reactivity. We present here a study examining the adsorption and reaction of methanol on magnetite Fe3O4(001) at cryogenic temperatures using a combination of temperature programmed desorption, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. The methanol desorption profile from Fe3O4(001) is complex, exhibiting peaks at 140 K, 173 K, 230 K, and 268 K, corresponding to the desorption of intact methanol, as well as peaks at 341 K and 495 K due to the reaction of methoxy intermediates. The saturation of a monolayer of methanol corresponds to ∼5 molecules/unit cell (u.c.), which is slightly higher than the number of surface octahedral iron atoms of 4/u.c. We probe the kinetics and thermodynamics of the desorption of molecular methanol using inversion analysis. The deconvolution of the complex desorption profile into individual peaks allows for calculations of both the desorption energy and the prefactor of each feature. The initial 0.7 methanol/u.c. reacts to form methoxy and hydroxy intermediates at 180 K, which remain on the surface above room temperature after intact methanol has desorbed. The methoxy species react via one of two channels, a recombination reaction with surface hydroxyls to form additional methanol at ∼350 K and a disproportionation reaction to form methanol and formaldehyde at ∼500 K. Only 20% of the methoxy species undergo the disproportionation reaction, with most of them reacting via the 350 K pathway.

Desorption Kinetics of Carbon Dioxide from a Graphene-Covered Pt(111) Surface.

The interaction of carbon dioxide (CO2) with a graphene-covered Pt(111) surface was investigated using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). The TPD spectra show monolayer and multilayer desorption peaks; however, the multilayer peak is not well-separated from the monolayer peak. The TPD spectra for submonolayer and multilayer coverages align on separate common leading edges. This alignment is a signature of zero-order desorption kinetics. The RAIRS spectra for submonolayer coverages have a relatively sharp peak at ∼2350 cm-1, which is assigned to the ν3 asymmetric stretch. The peak is observed at the onset of CO2 adsorption, and the area of the peak increases linearly with coverage. This suggests that CO2 does not lie flat on the surface but instead has a component of its bond axis perpendicular to the graphene surface.

Crystallization growth rates and front propagation in amorphous solid water films.

The growth rate of crystalline ice (CI) in amorphous solid water (ASW) films was investigated using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Two different experiments were set up to measure rates of the crystallization front propagation from the underlying crystalline template upward and from the vacuum interface downward. In one set of experiments, layers of ASW (5% D2O in H2O) were grown on a CI template and capped with a decane layer. In isothermal experiments from 140 to 150 K, crystallization was observed from the onset (no induction time) and the extent of crystallization increased linearly with time. In a second set of experiments, uncapped ASW films without a CI template were studied. The films were created by placing a 100 ML isotopic layer (5% D2O in H2O) at various positions in a 1000 ML ASW (H2O) film. The CI growth rates obtained from the two configurations (capped films with a CI template and uncapped films without a CI template) are in quantitative agreement. The results support the idea that for ASW films in a vacuum, a crystalline layer forms at the surface that then acts as a CI template for a growth front that moves downward into the film.

Homogeneous ice nucleation rates and crystallization kinetics in transiently-heated, supercooled water films from 188 K to 230 K.

The crystallization kinetics of transiently heated, nanoscale water films were investigated for 188 K < Tpulse < 230 K, where Tpulse is the maximum temperature obtained during a heat pulse. The water films, which had thicknesses ranging from approximately 15-30 nm, were adsorbed on a Pt(111) single crystal and heated with ∼10 ns laser pulses, which produced heating and cooling rates of ∼109-1010 K/s in the adsorbed water films. Because the ice growth rates have been measured independently, the ice nucleation rates could be determined by modeling the observed crystallization kinetics. The experiments show that the nucleation rate goes through a maximum at T = 216 K ± 4 K, and the rate at the maximum is 1029±1 m-3 s-1. The maximum nucleation rate reported here for flat, thin water films is consistent with recent measurements of the nucleation rate in nanometer-sized water drops at comparable temperatures. However, the nucleation rate drops rapidly at lower temperatures, which is different from the nearly temperature-independent rates observed for the nanometer-sized drops. At T ∼ 189 K, the nucleation rate for the current experiments is a factor of ∼104-5 smaller than the rate at the maximum. The nucleation rate also decreases for Tpulse > 220 K, but the transiently heated water films are not very sensitive to the smaller nucleation rates at higher temperatures. The crystallization kinetics are consistent with a "classical" nucleation and growth mechanism indicating that there is an energetic barrier for deeply supercooled water to convert to ice.

Growth rate of crystalline ice and the diffusivity of supercooled water from 126 to 262 K.

Understanding deeply supercooled water is key to unraveling many of water's anomalous properties. However, developing this understanding has proven difficult due to rapid and uncontrolled crystallization. Using a pulsed-laser-heating technique, we measure the growth rate of crystalline ice, G(T), for 180 K < T < 262 K, that is, deep within water's "no man's land" in ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. Isothermal measurements of G(T) are also made for 126 K ≤ T ≤ 151 K. The self-diffusion of supercooled liquid water, D(T), is obtained from G(T) using the Wilson-Frenkel model of crystal growth. For T > 237 K and P ∼ 10-8 Pa, G(T) and D(T) have super-Arrhenius ("fragile") temperature dependences, but both cross over to Arrhenius ("strong") behavior with a large activation energy in no man's land. The fact that G(T) and D(T) are smoothly varying rules out the hypothesis that liquid water's properties have a singularity at or near 228 K at ambient pressures. However, the results are consistent with a previous prediction for D(T) that assumed no thermodynamic transitions occur in no man's land.

Communication: Proton exchange in low temperature co-mixed amorphous H2O and D2O films: The effect of the underlying Pt(111) and graphene substrates.

Isotopic exchange reactions in mixed D2O and H2O amorphous solid water (ASW) films were investigated using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Nanoscale films composed of 5% D2O in H2O were deposited on Pt(111) and graphene covered Pt(111) substrates. At 130 K, we find that the reaction is strongly dependent on the substrate with the H/D exchange being significantly more rapid on the Pt(111) surface than on graphene. At 140 K, the films eventually crystallize with the final products on the two substrates being primarily HOD molecule on Pt(111) and a mixture of HOD and unreacted D2O on graphene. We demonstrate by pre-dosing H2 and O2 on Pt(111) that the observed differences in reactivity on the two substrates are likely due to the formation of hydrogen ions at the Pt(111) surface that are not formed on graphene. Once formed the mobile protons move through the ASW overlayer to initiate the H/D exchange reaction.

Communication: Distinguishing between bulk and interface-enhanced crystallization in nanoscale films of amorphous solid water.

The crystallization of amorphous solid water (ASW) nanoscale films was investigated using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Two ASW film configurations were studied. In one case the ASW film was deposited on top of and capped with a decane layer ("sandwich" configuration). In the other case, the ASW film was deposited on top of a decane layer and not capped ("no cap" configuration). Crystallization of ASW films in the "sandwich" configuration is about eight times slower than in the "no cap." Selective placement of an isotopic layer (5% D2O in H2O) at various positions in an ASW (H2O) film was used to determine the crystallization mechanism. In the "sandwich" configuration, the crystallization kinetics were independent of the isotopic layer placement whereas in the "no cap" configuration the closer the isotopic layer was to the vacuum interface, the earlier the isotopic layer crystallized. These results are consistent with a mechanism whereby the decane overlayer suppresses surface nucleation and provide evidence that the observed ASW crystallization in "sandwich" films is the result of uniform bulk nucleation.

A nanosecond pulsed laser heating system for studying liquid and supercooled liquid films in ultrahigh vacuum.

A pulsed laser heating system has been developed that enables investigations of the dynamics and kinetics of nanoscale liquid films and liquid/solid interfaces on the nanosecond time scale in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). Details of the design, implementation, and characterization of a nanosecond pulsed laser system for transiently heating nanoscale films are described. Nanosecond pulses from a Nd:YAG laser are used to rapidly heat thin films of adsorbed water or other volatile materials on a clean, well-characterized Pt(111) crystal in UHV. Heating rates of ∼10(10) K/s for temperature increases of ∼100-200 K are obtained. Subsequent rapid cooling (∼5 × 10(9) K/s) quenches the film, permitting in-situ, post-heating analysis using a variety of surface science techniques. Lateral variations in the laser pulse energy are ∼±2.7% leading to a temperature uncertainty of ∼±4.4 K for a temperature jump of 200 K. Initial experiments with the apparatus demonstrate that crystalline ice films initially held at 90 K can be rapidly transformed into liquid water films with T > 273 K. No discernable recrystallization occurs during the rapid cooling back to cryogenic temperatures. In contrast, amorphous solid water films heated below the melting point rapidly crystallize. The nanosecond pulsed laser heating system can prepare nanoscale liquid and supercooled liquid films that persist for nanoseconds per heat pulse in an UHV environment, enabling experimental studies of a wide range of phenomena in liquids and at liquid/solid interfaces.

Molecular hydrogen formation from proximal glycol pairs on TiO2(110).

Understanding hydrogen formation on TiO2 surfaces is of great importance, as it could provide fundamental insight into water splitting for hydrogen production using solar energy. In this work, hydrogen formation from glycols having different numbers of methyl end-groups has been studied using temperature-programmed desorption on reduced, hydroxylated, and oxidized rutile TiO2(110) surfaces. The results from OD-labeled glycols demonstrate that gas-phase molecular hydrogen originates exclusively from glycol hydroxyl groups. The yield is controlled by a combination of glycol coverage, steric hindrance, TiO2(110) order, and the amount of subsurface charge. Combined, these results show that proximal pairs of hydroxyl-aligned glycol molecules and subsurface charge are required to maximize the yield of this redox reaction. These findings highlight the importance of geometric and electronic effects in hydrogen formation from adsorbates on TiO2(110).

Desorption kinetics of methanol, ethanol, and water from graphene.

The desorption kinetics of methanol, ethanol, and water from graphene covered Pt(111) are investigated. The temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectra for both methanol and ethanol have well-resolved first, second, third, and multilayer layer desorption peaks. The alignment of the leading edges is consistent with zero-order desorption kinetics from all layers. In contrast, for water, the first and second layers are not resolved. At low water coverages (<1 monolayer (ML)) the initial desorption leading edges are aligned but then fall out of alignment at higher temperatures. For thicker water layers (10-100 ML), the desorption leading edges are in alignment throughout the desorption of the film. The coverage dependence of the desorption behavoir suggests that at low water coverages the nonalignment of the desorption leading edges is due to water dewetting from the graphene substrate. Kinetic simulations reveal that the experimental results are consistent with zero-order desorption. The simulations also show that fractional order desorption kinetics would be readily apparent in the experimental TPD spectra.

Turning things downside up: adsorbate induced water flipping on Pt(111).

We have examined the adsorption of the weakly bound species N2, O2, CO, and Kr on the (√37×√37)R25.3° water monolayer on Pt(111) using a combination of molecular beam dosing, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and temperature programmed desorption. In contrast to multilayer crystalline ice, the adsorbate-free water monolayer is characterized by a lack of dangling OH bonds protruding into the vacuum (H-up). Instead, the non-hydrogen-bonded OH groups are oriented downward (H-down) to maximize their interaction with the underlying Pt(111) substrate. Adsorption of Kr and O2 have little effect on the structure and vibrational spectrum of the "√37" water monolayer while adsorption of both N2, and CO are effective in "flipping" H-down water molecules into an H-up configuration. This "flipping" occurs readily upon adsorption at temperatures as low as 20 K and the water monolayer transforms back to the H-down, "√37" structure upon adsorbate desorption above 35 K, indicating small energy differences and barriers between the H-down and H-up configurations. The results suggest that converting water in the first layer from H-down to H-up is mediated by the electrostatic interactions between the water and the adsorbates.

Thermal and nonthermal physiochemical processes in nanoscale films of amorphous solid water.

Amorphous solid water (ASW) is a disordered version of ice created by vapor deposition onto a cold substrate (typically less than 130 K). It has a higher free energy than the crystalline phase of ice, and when heated above its glass transition temperature, it transforms into a metastable supercooled liquid. This unusual form of water exists on earth only in laboratories, after preparation with highly specialized equipment. It is thus fair to ask why there is any interest in studying such an esoteric material. Much of the scientific interest results from the ability to use ASW as a model system for exploring the physical and reactive properties of liquid water and aqueous solutions. ASW is also thought to be the predominant form of water in the extremely cold temperatures of many interstellar and planetary environments. In addition, ASW is a convenient model system for studying the stability of amorphous and glassy materials as well as the properties of highly porous materials. A fundamental understanding of such properties is invaluable in a diverse range of applications, including cryobiology, food science, pharmaceuticals, astrophysics, and nuclear waste storage, among others. Over the past 15 years, we have used molecular beams and surface science techniques to probe the thermal and nonthermal properties of nanoscale films of ASW. In this Account, we present a survey of our research on the properties of ASW using this approach. We use molecular beams to precisely control the deposition conditions (flux, incident energy, and incident angle) and create compositionally tailored, nanoscale films of ASW at low temperatures. To study the transport properties (viscosity and diffusivity), we heat the amorphous films above their glass transition temperature, T(g), at which they transform into deeply supercooled liquids prior to crystallization. The advantage of this approach is that at temperatures near T(g), the viscosity is approximately 15 orders of magnitude larger than that of a normal liquid. As a result, the crystallization kinetics are dramatically slowed, increasing the time available for experiments. For example, near T(g), a water molecule moves less than the distance of a single molecule on a typical laboratory time scale (∼1000 s). For this reason, nanoscale films help to probe the behavior and reactions of supercooled liquids at these low temperatures. ASW films can also be used for investigating the nonthermal reactions relevant to radiolysis.

Mobility of supercooled liquid toluene, ethylbenzene, and benzene near their glass transition temperatures investigated using inert gas permeation.

We investigate the mobility of supercooled liquid toluene, ethylbenzene, and benzene near their respective glass transition temperatures (Tg). The permeation rate of Ar, Kr, and Xe through the supercooled liquid created when initially amorphous overlayers are heated above their glass transition temperature is used to determine the diffusivity. Amorphous benzene crystallizes at temperatures well below its Tg, and as a result, the inert gas underlayer remains trapped until the onset of benzene desorption. In contrast, for toluene and ethylbenzene the onset of inert gas permeation is observed at temperatues near Tg. The inert gas desorption peak temperature as a function of the heating rate and overlayer thickness is used to quantify the diffusivity of supercooled liquid toluene and ethylbenzene from 115 to 135 K. In this temperature range, diffusivities are found to vary across 5 orders of magnitude (∼10(-14) to 10(-9) cm(2)/s). The diffusivity data are compared to viscosity measurements and reveal a breakdown in the Stokes-Einstein relationship at low temperatures. However, the data are well fit by the fractional Stokes-Einstein equation with an exponent of 0.66. Efforts to determine the diffusivity of a mixture of benzene and ethylbenzene are detailed, and the effect of mixing these materials on benzene crystallization is explored using infrared spectroscopy.

The release of trapped gases from amorphous solid water films. I. "Top-down" crystallization-induced crack propagation probed using the molecular volcano.

In this (Paper I) and the companion paper (Paper II; R. May, R. Smith, and B. Kay, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 104502 (2013)), we investigate the mechanisms for the release of trapped gases from underneath amorphous solid water (ASW) films. In prior work, we reported the episodic release of trapped gases in concert with the crystallization of ASW, a phenomenon that we termed the "molecular volcano." The observed abrupt desorption is due to the formation of cracks that span the film to form a connected pathway for release. In this paper, we utilize the "molecular volcano" desorption peak to characterize the formation of crystallization-induced cracks. We find that the crack length distribution is independent of the trapped gas (Ar, Kr, Xe, CH4, N2, O2, or CO). Selective placement of the inert gas layer is used to show that cracks form near the top of the film and propagate downward into the film. Isothermal experiments reveal that, after some induction time, cracks propagate linearly in time with an Arrhenius dependent velocity corresponding to an activation energy of 54 kJ∕mol. This value is consistent with the crystallization growth rates reported by others and establishes a direct connection between crystallization growth rate and the crack propagation rate. A two-step model in which nucleation and crystallization occurs in an induction zone near the top of the film followed by the propagation of a crystallization∕crack front into the film is in good agreement with the temperature programmed desorption results.

T2 -weighted MRI of post-infarct myocardial edema in mice.

T(2) -weighted, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (T(2) w CMR) can be used to noninvasively detect and quantify the edematous region that corresponds to the area at risk (AAR) following myocardial infarction (MI). Previously, CMR has been used to examine structure and function in mice, expediting the study of genetic manipulations. To date, CMR has not been applied to imaging of post-MI AAR in mice. We developed a whole-heart, T(2) w CMR sequence to quantify the AAR in mouse models of ischemia and infarction. The ΔB(0) and ΔB(1) environment around the mouse heart at 7 T were measured, and a T(2) -preparation sequence suitable for these conditions was developed. Both in vivo T(2) w and late gadolinium enhanced CMR were performed in mice after 20-min coronary occlusions, resulting in measurements of AAR size of 32.5 ± 3.1 (mean ± SEM)% left ventricular mass, and MI size of 50.1 ± 6.4% AAR size. Excellent interobserver agreement and agreement with histology were also found. This T(2) w imaging method for mice may allow for future investigations of genetic manipulations and novel therapies affecting the AAR and salvaged myocardium following reperfused MI.

Probing the interaction of amorphous solid water on a hydrophobic surface: dewetting and crystallization kinetics of ASW on carbon tetrachloride.

Desorption of carbon tetrachloride from beneath an amorphous solid water (ASW) overlayer is explored utilizing a combination of temperature programmed desorption and infrared spectroscopy. Otherwise inaccessible information about the dewetting and crystallization of ASW is revealed by monitoring desorption of the CCl(4) underlayer. The desorption maximum of CCl(4) on graphene occurs at ~140 K. When ASW wets the CCl(4) no desorption below 140 K is observed. However, the mobility of the water molecules increases with ASW deposition temperature, leading to a thermodynamically driven dewetting of water from the hydrophobic CCl(4) surface. This dewetting exposes some CCl(4) to the ambient environment, allowing unhindered desorption of CCl(4) below 140 K. When ASW completely covers the underlayer, desorption of CCl(4) is delayed until crystallization induced cracking of the ASW overlayer opens an escape path to the surface. The subsequent rapid episodic release of CCl(4) is termed a "molecular volcano". Reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) measurements indicate that the onset and duration of the molecular volcano is directly controlled by the ASW crystallization kinetics.

Crystallization kinetics and excess free energy of H2O and D2O nanoscale films of amorphous solid water.

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) are used to investigate the crystallization kinetics and measure the excess free energy of metastable amorphous solid water films (ASW) of H(2)O and D(2)O grown using molecular beams. The desorption rates from the amorphous and crystalline phases of ASW are distinct, and as such, crystallization manifests can be observed in the TPD spectrum. The crystallization kinetics were studied by varying the TPD heating rate from 0.001 to 3 K/s. A coupled desorption-crystallization kinetic model accurately simulates the desorption spectra and accurately predicts the observed temperature shifts in the crystallization. Isothermal crystallization studies using RAIRS are in agreement with the TPD results. Furthermore, highly sensitive measurements of the desorption rates were used to determine the excess free energy of ASW near 150 K. The excess entropy obtained from these data is consistent with there being a thermodynamic continuity between ASW and supercooled liquid water.

HCl adsorption and ionization on amorphous and crystalline H2O films below 50 K.

Molecular beams were used to grow amorphous and crystalline H(2)O films and to dose HCl upon their surface. The adsorption state of HCl on the ice films was probed with infrared spectroscopy. A Zundel continuum is clearly observed for exposures up to the saturation HCl coverage on ice upon which features centered near 2530, 2120, 1760, and 1220 cm(-1) are superimposed. The band centered near 2530 cm(-1) is observed only when the HCl adlayer is in direct contact with amorphous solid water or crystalline ice films at temperatures as low as 20 K. The spectral signature of solid HCl (amorphous or crystalline) was identified only after saturation of the adsorption sites in the first layer or when HCl was deposited onto a rare gas spacer layer between the HCl and ice film. These observations strongly support conclusions from recent electron spectroscopy work that reported ionic dissociation of the first layer HCl adsorbed onto the ice surface is spontaneous.