Influence of reactive gas-phase species on the structure of an air/water interface

Abstract

Highly-reactive gas-phase species, such as OH, O3 and NOx, present at the air/water interface, play a crucial role in natural environments. Unique hydrogen bond structures, not seen in the bulk, exist at the air/water interface. Here, by means of vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, we probe the interfacial water structure, and demonstrate how reactive gas-phase species interact with the water surface. We found that the reactive gas-phase species supplied to the water surface largely influenced the water surface structure. Furthermore, we suggest a higher density of reactive species at the water surface as compared to the bulk.