Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025

In Situ Monitoring of Diffusion of Guest Molecules in Porous Media Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: September 2, 2016
Self-diffusion of liquid deuterium hydride and liquid tritium
T R Prisk1, S Hanna2, R T Azuah3
1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Abstract:
We present a quasi-elastic neutron scattering study of liquid deuterium hydride carried out using the Disk Chopper Spectrometer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Under saturated vapor pressure, the self-diffusion constant of deuterium hydride obeys an Arrhenius law D=D0exp-EA/kBT, where the prefactor D0 is given by D0=9.5±1.2Å2/ps and the activation energy is given by EA = 58 ± 2 K. We apply the quantum law of corresponding states to the known diffusion constants of the hydrogen isotopologues. From this application, we estimate that D0≈9.1Å2/ps and EA ≈ 75 K in liquid tritium. Young's theory of quantum-mechanical effects in van der Waals fluids [Young, Phys. Rev. A 23, 1498 (1981)] is shown to apply to the diffusion constants of the liquid hydrogens. Our results underscore the importance of nuclear quantum effects in shaping the properties and behavior of the hydrogen isotopologues.
Related Concept Videos
¹H NMR of Labile Protons: Deuterium (²H) Substitution
Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion
Intermolecular Forces
Nuclear Fusion
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Chemical Shift: Internal References and Solvent Effects
The internal reference compound generally used in NMR spectroscopy is tetramethylsilane (TMS). TMS is preferred because it is chemically inert, soluble in NMR solvents, and easily removable. Also, the highly shielded methyl protons in TMS yield an intense...
Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...

