Mechanism of OH radical hydration: a comparative computational study of liquid and supercritical solvent

Flexible models of the radical and water molecules including short-range interaction of hydrogen atoms have been employed in molecular dynamic simulation to understand mechanism of (●)OH hydration in aqueous systems of technological importance. A key role of H-bond connectivity patterns of water molecules has been identified. The behavior of (●)OH(aq) strongly depends on water density and correlates with topological changes in the hydrogen-bonded structure of water driven by thermodynamic conditions. Liquid and supercritical water above the critical density exhibit the radical localization in cavities existing in the solvent structure. A change of mechanism has been found at supercritical conditions below the critical density. Instead of cavity localization, we have identified accumulation of water molecules around (●)OH associated with the formation of a strong H-donor bond and diminution of non-homogeneity in the solvent structure. For all the systems investigated, the computed hydration number and the internal energy of hydration Δ(h)U showed approximately linear decrease with decreasing density of the solvent but a degree of radical-water hydrogen bonding exhibited non-monotonic dependence on density. The increase in the number of radical-water H-acceptor bonds is associated with diminution of extended nets of four-bonded water molecules in compressed solution at ~473 K. Up to 473 K, the isobaric heat of hydration in compressed liquid water remains constant and equal to -40 ± 1 kJ mol(-1).