Confinement Effects on the Nuclear Spin Isomer Conversion of H2O.
The mechanism for interconversion between the nuclear spin isomers (NSI) of H2O remains shrouded in uncertainties. The temperature dependence displayed by NSI interconversion rates for H2O isolated in an argon matrix provides evidence that confinement effects are responsible for the dramatic increase in their kinetics with respect to the gas phase, providing new pathways for o-H2O↔p-H2O conversion in endohedral compounds. This reveals intramolecular aspects of the interconversion mechanism which may improve methodologies for the separation and storage of NSI en route to applications ranging from magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging to interpretations of spin temperatures in the interstellar medium.
Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada.
Pierre-Alexandre
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6536-0670
PA
Turgeon
Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada.
Jonathan
J
Vermette
Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Gil
G
Alexandrowicz
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 , F-75252 Paris, France.
Yoann
Y
Peperstraete
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 , F-75252 Paris, France.
Laurent
L
Philippe
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 , F-75252 Paris, France.
Mathieu
M
Bertin
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 , F-75252 Paris, France.
Jean-Hugues
JH
Fillion
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 , F-75252 Paris, France.
Xavier
X
Michaut
Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, Canada.
Patrick
P
Ayotte