Quantum rotation of ortho and para-water encapsulated in a fullerene cage.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 22837402.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.1210790109 and PMC identifier 3420201.
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Abstract
Inelastic neutron scattering, far-infrared spectroscopy, and cryogenic nuclear magnetic resonance are used to investigate the quantized rotation and ortho-para conversion of single water molecules trapped inside closed fullerene cages. The existence of metastable ortho-water molecules is demonstrated, and the interconversion of ortho-and para-water spin isomers is tracked in real time. Our investigation reveals that the ground state of encapsulated ortho water has a lifted degeneracy, associated with symmetry-breaking of the water environment.
Medical subject headings
- Fullerenes
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Models, Molecular
- Quantum Theory
- Rotation
- Water