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X-ray Raman spectroscopy (XRS) combined with small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) were used to study aqueous solutions of HCl and NaOH. Hydrated structures of H+ and OH- are not simple mirror images of each other. While both ions have been shown to strengthen local hydrogen bonds in the hydration shell as indicated by XRS, SAXS suggests that H+ and OH- have qualitatively different long-range effects. The SAXS structure factor of HCl (aq) closely resembles that of pure water, while NaOH (aq) behaves similar to NaF (aq). We propose that protons only locally enhance hydrogen bonds while hydroxide ions induce tetrahedrality in the overall hydrogen bond network of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report small angle x-ray scattering data demonstrating the direct experimental microscopic observation of the small-to-large crossover behavior of hydrophobic effects in hydrophobic solvation. By increasing the side chain length of amphiphilic tetraalkyl-ammonium (CnH2n+1)4N+ (R4N+) cations in aqueous solution we observe diffraction peaks indicating association between cations at a solute size between 4.4 and 5 Å, which show temperature dependence dominated by hydrophobic attraction. Using O K-edge x-ray absorption we show that small solutes affect hydrogen bonding in water similar to a temperature decrease, while large solutes affect water similar to a temperature increase. Molecular dynamics simulations support, and provide further insight into, the origin of the experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous solutions of acetonitrile (MeCN) have been studied with oxygen K-edge x-ray Raman scattering (XRS) which is found to be sensitive to the interaction between water and MeCN. The changes in the XRS spectra can be attributed to water directly interacting with MeCN and are reproduced by density functional theory calculations on small clusters of water and MeCN. The dominant structural arrangement features dipole interaction instead of H-bonds between the two species as revealed by the XRS spectra combined with spectrum calculations. Small-angle x-ray scattering shows the largest heterogeneity for a MeCN to water ratio of 0.4 in agreement with earlier small-angle neutron scattering data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) were utilized to study the effect of fluoride (F-) anion in aqueous solutions. XAS spectra show that F- increases the number of strong H-bonds, likely between F- and water in the first hydration shell. SAXS data show a low-Q scattering intensity increase similar to the effect of a temperature decrease, suggesting an enhanced anomalous scattering behavior in F- solutions. Quantitative analysis revealed that fluoride solutions have larger correlation lengths than chloride solutions with the same cations but shorter compared to pure water. This is interpreted as an increased fraction of tetrahedral low-density structures in the solutions due to the presence of the F- ions, which act as nucleation centers replacing water in the H-bonding network and forming stronger H-bonds, but the presence of the cations restricts the extension of strong H-bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray Raman scattering (XRS) spectroscopy and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) are used to study water in aqueous solutions of NaCl, MgCl2, and AlCl3 with the particular aim to provide information about the structure of the hydration shells of the cations. The XRS spectra show that Na+ weakens the hydrogen bonds of water molecules in its vicinity, similar to the effect of increased temperature and pressure. Mg2+ and Al3+, on the other hand, cause the formation of short and strong hydrogen bonds between the surrounding water molecules. The SAXS data show that Mg2+ and Al3+ form tightly bound hydration shells that give a large density contrast in the scattering data. From the form factors extracted from the SAXS data, we found that Mg2+ and Al3+ have, respectively, an equivalent of one and one and a half stable hydration shells that appear as a density contrast. In addition, we estimated that the density of water in the hydration shells of Mg2+ and Al3+ is, respectively, ∼61% and ∼71% higher than in bulk water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using small angle x-ray scattering, we find that the correlation length of bulk liquid water shows a steep increase as temperature decreases at subzero temperatures (supercooling) and that it can, similar to the thermodynamic response functions, be fitted to a power law. This indicates that the anomalous properties of water are attributable to fluctuations between low- and high-density regions with rapidly growing average size upon supercooling. The substitution of H2O with D2O, as well as the addition of NaCl salt, leads to substantial changes of the power law behavior of the correlation length. Our results are consistent with the proposed existence of a liquid-liquid critical point in the deeply supercooled region but do not exclude a singularity-free model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four recent x-ray diffraction measurements of ambient liquid water are reviewed here. Each of these measurements represents a significant development of the x-ray diffraction technique applied to the study of liquid water. Sources of uncertainty from statistical noise, Q-range, Compton scattering, and self-scattering are discussed. The oxygen-hydrogen contribution to the measured x-ray scattering pattern was subtracted using literature data to yield an experimental determination, with error bars, of the oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution function, gOO(r), which essentially describes the distribution of molecular centers. The extended Q-range and low statistical noise of these measurements has significantly reduced truncation effects and related errors in the gOO(r) functions obtained. From these measurements and error analysis, the position and height of the nearest neighbor maximum in gOO(r) were found to be 2.80(1) Å and 2.57(5) respectively. Numerical data for the coherent differential x-ray scattering cross-section IX(Q), the oxygen-oxygen structure factor SOO(Q), and the derived gOO(r) are provided as benchmarks for calibrating force-fields for water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using small angle x-ray scattering, we find that the correlation length of bulk liquid water shows a steep increase as temperature decreases at subzero temperatures (supercooling) and that it can, similar to the thermodynamic response functions, be fitted to a power law. This indicates that the anomalous properties of water are attributable to fluctuations between low- and high-density regions with rapidly growing average size upon supercooling. The substitution of H(2)O with D(2)O, as well as the addition of NaCl salt, leads to substantial changes of the power law behavior of the correlation length. Our results are consistent with the proposed existence of a liquid-liquid critical point in the deeply supercooled region but do not exclude a singularity-free model.