title: Spectroscopic identification of water-propane interaction: implications for clathrate nucleation.
abstract: Propane is one of several hydrocarbons known to form a clathrate hydrate. To probe interactions leading to clathrate nucleation, the water-propane interaction is investigated in carbon tetrachloride with infrared spectroscopy. Isotopic substitution provides compelling evidence that the water-propane interaction occurs between the propane methylene hydrogen atoms and the water lone pair. In addition, interaction between propane and water results in clustering of water molecules, a clustering that is identified by the appearance of a peak between the symmetric and asymmetric stretches of water.
authors.affiliation: Pearson Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA.
authors.forename: Tuan Hoang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.forename: Sarah Dai
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kälin
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shultz