title: Alcohol Dimer is Requisite to Form an Alkyl Oxonium Ion in the Proton Transfer of a Strong (Photo)Acid to Alcohol.
abstract: Alcohols, the simplest amphiprotic organic compounds, can exhibit either acidic or basic behavior by donating or accepting a proton. In this study, proton dissociation of a model photoacid in solution is explored by using time-resolved spectroscopy, revealing quantitatively for the first time that alcohol acts as a Brønsted base because of H-bonded cluster formation to enhance the reactivity. The protonated alcohol cluster, the alkyl oxonium ion, can be regarded as a key reaction intermediate in the well-established alcohol dehydration reaction. This finding signifies, as in water, the cooperativity of protic solvent molecules to facilitate nonaqueous acid-base reactions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 689-798, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4769-3612
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability (EEWS), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kijeong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwac
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability (EEWS), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea. ysjn@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yousung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 689-798, Republic of Korea. ohkwon@unist.ac.kr.|Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Republic of Korea. ohkwon@unist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Oh-Hoon
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Kwon
keywords: alcohols; dehydration; hydrogen bonds; proton transport; time-resolved spectroscopy