Structural anomalies of Rb and Br ionic nanosolutions in hydrophobic slit-shaped solid space as revealed by the EXAFS technique

The hydration structure of RbBr electrolytic solutions confined in slit-shaped nanospaces of carbon was determined with the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique and related analysis. The nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K were measured to evaluate the porosity of RbBr-deposited carbon samples. The EXAFS results indicate that the electrolytic solution confined in hydrophobic nanospaces has a restricted hydration structure depending on the average pore width of the nanospaces. Also the asymmetric-field effect of slit-pore geometry on the formation of unique hydration structures of ions in nanospaces was unveiled with the analysis of EXAFS spectra. A marked decrease of the hydration number around a Rb ion was observed in slit-shaped nanospaces, indicating the compressed hydration structure around a Rb ion restricted in slit-shaped nanospaces. The distorted hydration structure around a Br ion in the slit-shaped pore of 0.7 nm was formed to increase the hydration number, though partially dehydrated structure can be formed in a 1.1-nm pore. The cluster-mediated ordered structure of water molecules can play an important role in forming a dehydrated structure around a Br ion confined in the 1.1-nm pore.