Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026
17:14
Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging
Published on: October 9, 2012
18.7K
Diffusion of Water Molecules in Quantum Crystals
Brendan Moore1, Pavle Djuricanin1, Takamasa Momose1
1Department of Chemistry , The University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z1 , Canada.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|October 31, 2018
Summary
Water molecules move within solid parahydrogen at 4.0 K, indicating quantum tunneling. This diffusion, observed for monomers and dimers, suggests correlated motion and offers insights into quantum crystal behavior.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Crystallography
- Spectroscopy
- Materials Science
Background:
- Solid parahydrogen is increasingly used in matrix isolation spectroscopy.
- Understanding molecular behavior in solid parahydrogen is crucial for interpreting experimental results.
- Molecular mobility within solid matrices significantly impacts system dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mobility of water molecules in solid parahydrogen at 4.0 K.
- To determine the mechanism of water molecule diffusion in this quantum crystal.
- To analyze the concentration dependence of diffusion and its implications for molecular motion.
Main Methods:
- Matrix isolation spectroscopy utilizing solid parahydrogen.
- Experimental observation of water molecule diffusion over several days at 4.0 K.
- Analysis of diffusion dynamics using nucleation theory.
Main Results:
- Water molecules (monomers and dimers) exhibit mobility in solid parahydrogen at 4.0 K.
- Diffusion is attributed to quantum tunneling, characteristic of this quantum crystal.
- Concentration-dependent diffusion suggests potential correlated motion of water molecules.
Conclusions:
- Quantum tunneling facilitates water molecule diffusion in solid parahydrogen at low temperatures.
- Observed diffusion dynamics provide evidence for quantum diffusion mechanisms.
- The study enhances understanding of molecular behavior and dynamics within quantum crystals.
Related Concept Videos
03:48Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion
31.3K
Although gaseous molecules travel at tremendous speeds (hundreds of meters per second), they collide with other gaseous molecules and travel in many different directions before reaching the desired target. At room temperature, a gaseous molecule will experience billions of collisions per second. The mean free path is the average distance a molecule travels between collisions. The mean free path increases with decreasing pressure; in general, the mean free path for a gaseous molecule will be...
31.3K
02:43Quantum Numbers
50.1K
It is said that the energy of an electron in an atom is quantized; that is, it can be equal only to certain specific values and can jump from one energy level to another but not transition smoothly or stay between these levels.
50.1K
01:12Diffusion
218.6K
Diffusion is the passive movement of substances down their concentration gradients—requiring no expenditure of cellular energy. Substances, such as molecules or ions, diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration in the cytosol or across membranes. Eventually, the concentration will even out, with the substance moving randomly but causing no net change in concentration. Such a state is called dynamic equilibrium, which is essential for maintaining overall...
218.6K
02:45The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
57.3K
Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra.
57.3K
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
30.8K
Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
30.8K
02:34Water and Mineral Acquisition
35.7K
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.
35.7K