Isotope fractionation in aqua-gas systems: Cl(2)-HCl-Cl(-), Br(2)-HBr-Br(-) and H(2)S-S(2-)

We report calculated values of isotope fractionation factors between chlorine, bromine and sulphide hydrated anions and respective gaseous compounds: hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, molecular chlorine and bromine and hydrogen sulphide. For the calculation of the reduced partition function ratios (β-factors) of hydrated Cl(-), Br(-) and S(2-) anions, we used a model of a cluster composed of the considered ion surrounded by two shells of H(2)O molecules. Only the electrostatic interaction between ion and water molecules treated as electric dipoles was taken into account. The β-factors for the gaseous compounds (HCl, Cl(2), HBr, Br(2) and H(2)S) were calculated from vibrational frequencies reported by Urey and Greiff [Isotopic Exchange Equilibria, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 57, 321 (1935)] and Schauble et al. [Theoretical Estimates Equilibrium Chlorine-Isotope Fractionation, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 67, 3267 (2003)]. Low-temperature isotope fractionation between chlorine-hydrated anion and hydrogen chloride attains 1.55-1.68‰ (this work), which is in good agreement with experimental data (1.4-1.8‰) [Z.D. Sharp, J.D. Barnes, T.P. Fischer and M. Halick, An Experimental Determination of Chlorine Isotope Fractionation in Acid Systems and Applications to Volcanic Fumaroles, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 74, 264 (2010)]. The predicted isotope fractionations for hydrated bromine and HBr, Br(2) gases are very small, 1000 ln α, do not exceed 0.8‰; thus, the expected variations of bromine isotope composition in aqua-gas systems will require enhanced precision for their detection. In contrast, the sulphur isotope fractionation between H(2)S( gas ) and S(2-) attains 6.0‰ at room temperature and drops nearly linearly to 3.1‰ at 350°C.