Simultaneous photon absorption as a probe of molecular interaction and hydrogen-bond cooperativity in liquids

We have investigated the simultaneous absorption of near-infrared photons by pairs of neighboring molecules in liquid methanol. Simultaneous absorption by two OH-stretching modes is found to occur at an energy higher than the sum of the two absorbing modes. This frequency shift arises from interaction between the modes, and its value has been used to determine the average coupling between neighboring methanol molecules. We find a rms coupling strength of 46+/-1 cm(-1), larger than can be explained from a transition-dipole coupling mechanism, suggesting that hydrogen-bond mediated interactions also contribute to the coupling. The most important aspect of simultaneous vibrational absorption is that it allows for a quantitative investigation of hydrogen-bond cooperativity. We derive the extent to which the hydrogen-bond strengths of neighboring molecules are correlated by comparing the line shape of the absorption band caused by simultaneous absorption with that of the fundamental transition. Surprisingly, neighboring hydrogen bonds in methanol are found to be strongly correlated, and from the data we obtain an estimate for the hydrogen-bond correlation coefficient of 0.69+/-0.12.