Hydrated electrons as nodes in porous clathrate hydrates

We investigate the structures of hydrated electrons (e^- _aq) in one of water's solid phases, namely, clathrate hydrates (CHs). Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, DFT-based ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), and path-integral AIMD simulations with periodic boundary conditions, we find that the structure of the e^- _aq@node model is in good agreement with the experiment, suggesting that an e^- _aq could form a node in CHs. The node is a H₂O defect in CHs that is supposed to be composed of four unsaturated hydrogen bonds. Since CHs are porous crystals that possess cavities that can accommodate small guest molecules, we expect that these guest molecules can be used to tailor the electronic structure of the e^- _aq@node, and it leads to experimentally observed optical absorption spectra of CHs. Our findings have a general interest and extend the knowledge of e^- _aq into porous aqueous systems.