Terahertz Spectroscopy Applied For Investigation of Water Structure

Nikita Penkov, Nikolay Shvirst, Valery Alexandrovich Yashin, Eugeny Eugenievich Fesenko (Jr.), and Eugeny Eugenievich Fesenko

 Abstract

The absorption spectra of liquid water and different aqueous solutions were analyzed in a terahertz frequency domain (from 6 to 200 cm–1) which characterize the collective dynamics of water molecules. The particular attention was paid to the relaxation process in the range of ~6–80 cm-1. The physical essence of this process on the molecular level is still unclear. We found that the amplitude of this relaxation process correlates with the degree of destruction of water structure. The obtained data allowed us to interpret this process as a monomolecular relaxation of free water molecules. Based on a consideration of the water polarization in the electric field we proposed a method of calculation of the amount of free water molecules in solution.

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