Chemical Dynamics at the Gas−Surface Interface

Foam copper adsorber facilitates the collimation of rubidium atomic beam

The collimation of continuous atomic beam, when utilized in precision metrology, emerges as a pivotal determinant of the measurement's accuracy. In this work, experimental study and theoretical simulation are combined to evaluate the collimating effect of a copper foam adsorber on thermal atomic beams. The experimental results show that the atoms' divergence angle decreases from 0.039 to 0.019 rad after being equipped with the adsorber. Meanwhile, Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to investigate the collimating effect on the sticking factor of the adsorber. Our work contributes novel perspectives to the development of atomic beam collimation apparatus.

Controlling Adsorption of Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles onto an Aldehyde-Functionalized Hydrophilic Polymer Brush via pH Modulation

Sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles with a well-defined spherical morphology and tunable diameter were prepared by RAFT aqueous emulsion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate at 70 °C. The steric stabilizer precursor used for these syntheses contained pendent cis-diol groups, which means that such nanoparticles can react with a suitable aldehyde-functional surface via acetal bond formation. This principle is examined herein by growing an aldehyde-functionalized polymer brush from a planar silicon wafer and studying the extent of nanoparticle adsorption onto this model substrate from aqueous solution at 25 °C using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The adsorbed amount, Γ, depends on both the nanoparticle diameter and the solution pH, with minimal adsorption observed at pH 7 or 10 and substantial adsorption achieved at pH 4. Variable-temperature QCM studies provide strong evidence for chemical adsorption, while scanning electron microscopy images recorded for the nanoparticle-coated brush surface after drying indicate mean surface coverages of up to 62%. This fundamental study extends our understanding of the chemical adsorption of nanoparticles on soft substrates.

Theoretical study of nonadiabatic hydrogen atom scattering dynamics on metal surfaces using the hierarchical equations of motion method

Hydrogen atom scattering on metal surfaces is investigated based on a simplified Newns-Anderson model. Both the nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom are treated quantum mechanically. By partitioning all the surface electronic states as the bath, the hierarchical equations of motion method for the fermionic bath is employed to simulate the scattering dynamics. It is found that, with a reasonable set of parameters, the main features of the recent experimental studies of hydrogen atom scattering on metal surfaces can be reproduced. Vibrational states on the chemisorption state whose energies are close to the incident energy are found to play an important role, and the scattering process is dominated by a single-pass electronic transition forth and back between the diabatic physisorption and chemisorption states. Further study on the effects of the atom-surface coupling strength reveals that, upon increasing the atom-surface coupling strength, the scattering mechanism changes from typical nonadiabatic transitions to dynamics in the electronic friction regime.

A Brief Discussion of Chemical Kinetics versus Chemical Dynamics

Chemical kinetics and chemical dynamics are distinct but related topics. They arise again in contemporary physical chemistry often in terms of charge carrier processes in new materials which interconvert light and electrical energy on a distribution of time scales. With this recent rise in the application of concepts in kinetics and dynamics to new problems, there has also arisen confusion about the differences and connections between the two. Here, we briefly review the relationship between kinetics and dynamics in chemical processes, with particular emphasis on the photochemical and photophysical response of a system.

Exploring Gas-Liquid Reactions with Microjets: Lessons We Are Learning

Liquid water is all around us: at the beach, in a cloud, from a faucet, inside a spray tower, covering our lungs. It is fascinating to imagine what happens to a reactive gas molecule as it approaches the surface of water in these examples. Some incoming molecules may first be deflected away after colliding with an evaporating water molecule. Those that do strike surface H₂O or other surface species may bounce directly off or become momentarily trapped through hydrogen bonding or other attractive forces. The adsorbed gas molecule can then desorb immediately or instead dissolve, passing through the interfacial region and into the bulk, perhaps diffusing back to the surface and evaporating before reacting. Alternatively, it may react with solute or water molecules in the interfacial or bulk regions, and a reaction intermediate or the final product may then desorb into the gas phase. Building a "blow by blow" picture of these pathways is challenging for vacuum-based techniques because of the high vapor pressure of water. In particular, collisions within the thick vapor cloud created by evaporating molecules just above the surface scramble the trajectories and internal states of the gaseous target molecules, hindering construction of gas-liquid reaction mechanisms at the atomic scale that we strive to map out.The introduction of the microjet in 1988 by Faubel, Schlemmer, and Toennies opened up entirely new possibilities. Their inspired solution seems so simple: narrow the end of a glass tube to a diameter smaller than the mean free path of the vapor molecules and then push the liquid through the tube at speeds of a car on a highway. The narrow liquid stream creates a sparse vapor cloud, with water molecules spaced far enough apart that they and the reactant gases interact, at most, weakly. Experimentalists, however, confront a host of challenges: nozzle clogging, unstable jetting, searching for vacuum-compatible solutions, measuring low signal levels, and teasing out artifacts because the slender jet is the smallest surface in the vacuum chamber. In this Account, we describe lessons that we are learning as we explore gases (DCl, (HCOOH)₂, N₂O₅) reacting with water molecules and solute ions in the near-interfacial region of these fast-flowing aqueous microjets.

Interfacial catalytic materials; challenge for inorganic synthetic chemistry

Interfacial catalysts are indispensable functional materials in the energy transformation. The traditional empirical search strategies reach their potential. Knowledge-based approaches have not been able to deliver innovative and scalable solutions. Following a short analysis of the origin of these shortcomings a fresh attempt on the material challenge of catalysis is proposed. The approach combines functional understanding of material dynamics derived from operando analysis with digital catalysis science guiding the exploration of non-linear interactions of material genes to catalytic functions. This critically requires the ingenuity of the synthetic inorganic chemist to let us understand the reactivity of well-defined materials under the specific conditions of catalytic operation. It is the understanding of how the kinetics of phase changes brings about and destroys active sites in catalytic materials that forms the basis of realistic material concepts. A rigorous prediction and engineering of these processes may not be possible due to the complexity of options involved.

Comparative analysis of recirculating and collimating cesium ovens

We have performed a study of several cesium oven designs. A comparison between recirculating (or sticking-wall) and collimating (or re-emitting-wall) ovens is made in order to extract the most efficient design in terms of beam brightness. Unfortunately, non-reproducible behaviors have been observed, and the most often observed output flux is similar to the sticking-wall case, which is the lowest theoretical value of the two cases, with a beam brightness close to 10¹⁸ at. sr^-1 s^-1 cm^-2. The reason of this universally observed behavior is unclear despite having tested several materials for the collimating tube. Conclusion on possible improved design based on sticking of cesium on several (un)cleaned surfaces is given.

Multibounce and Subsurface Scattering of H Atoms Colliding with a van der Waals Solid

We report the results of inelastic differential scattering experiments and full-dimensional molecular dynamics trajectory simulations for 2.76 eV H atoms colliding at a surface of solid xenon. The interaction potential is based on an effective medium theory (EMT) fit to density functional theory (DFT) energies. The translational energy-loss distributions derived from experiment and theory are in excellent agreement. By analyzing trajectories, we find that only a minority of the scattering results from simple single-bounce dynamics. The majority comes from multibounce collisions including subsurface scattering where the H atoms penetrate below the first layer of Xe atoms and subsequently re-emerge to the gas phase. This behavior leads to observable energy-losses as large as 0.5 eV, much larger than a prediction of the binary collision model (0.082 eV), which is often used to estimate the highest possible energy-loss in direct inelastic surface scattering. The sticking probability computed with the EMT-PES (0.15) is dramatically reduced (5 × 10-6) if we employ a full-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) based on Lennard-Jones (LJ) pairwise interactions. Although the LJ-PES accurately describes the interactions near the H-Xe and Xe-Xe energy minima, it drastically overestimates the effective size of the Xe atom seen by the colliding H atom at incidence energies above about 0.1 eV.

In Situ Measurements of Water Content for Sub-Surface Planetary Applications Using Near-Infrared Internal Reflection Spectroscopy (IRS) with a Multimode Optical Fiber

Results and analysis of internal reflection spectral absorbance experiments are reported for near-infrared (NIR) spectra obtained using an optical fiber sensor system. We present a preliminary study to diagnose the efficacy of our fiber optic system to observe and distinguish various phases of water, i.e., ice, liquid, and adsorbed. This study was motivated by the need for a technique capable of obtaining soil water content measurements in real time and in situ, at low humidity conditions for simulation studies of planetary bodies such as Mars. Spectral signatures were observed for the solid, liquid, and adsorbed phases of water. For all phases, peak absorbance at λ ≈1.45 and 1.94 μm was observed despite slight peak shifting due to dispersion effects. Dispersion effects commonly obscure spectra obtained with internal reflection spectroscopy for particular spectral regions. Here we report a spectral region with minimal distortions. Internal reflection spectra were compared directly to transmission spectra with only slight variations. Spectral matching was performed to determine sample penetration depths for unknown incidence angles. In general, relative absorbance and spectral shifting can distinguish spectra of the various phases of water.

Dynamics in reactions on metal surfaces: A theoretical perspective

Recent advances in theoretical characterization of reaction dynamics on metal surfaces are reviewed. It is shown that the widely available density functional theory of metals and their interactions with molecules have enabled first principles theoretical models for treating surface reaction dynamics. The new theoretical tools include methods to construct high-dimensional adiabatic potential energy surfaces, to characterize nonadiabatic processes within the electronic friction models, and to describe dynamics both quantum mechanically and classically. Three prototypical surface reactions, namely, dissociative chemisorption, Eley-Rideal reactions, and recombinative desorption, are surveyed with a focus on some representative examples. While principles governing gas phase reaction dynamics may still be applicable, the presence of the surface introduces a higher level of complexity due to strong interaction between the molecular species and metal substrate. Furthermore, most of these reactive processes are impacted by energy exchange with surface phonons and/or electron-hole pair excitations. These theoretical studies help to interpret and rationalize experimental observations and, in some cases, guide experimental explorations. Knowledge acquired in these fundamental studies is expected to impact many practical problems in a wide range of interfacial processes.

Dynamics of N2 sticking on W(100): the decisive role of van der Waals interactions

The reactive dynamics of N₂ on W(100) has been investigated by means of quasi-classical trajectory calculations using an interpolated six-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) based on density functional theory energies obtained employing the vdW-DF2 functional.

Direct Addition Mechanism during the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Olefins over Platinum Surfaces

The mechanism of the hydrogenation of olefins catalyzed by metal surfaces was probed by using isotope labeling in conjunction with a high-flux effusive molecular beam setup capable of sustaining steady-state conversion under well-controlled ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The unique conditions afforded by this instrument, namely, a single collision regime and impinging frequencies equivalent to pressures in the mTorr range, led to the clear identification of two competing pathways: a multiple H-D isotope exchange channel explained by the well-known Horiuti-Polanyi mechanism but with an unusually high probability for β-hydride elimination from the alkyl surface intermediate (versus its reductive elimination to the alkane), and a direct addition route that produces dideuterated alkanes selectively. The latter may follow an Eley-Rideal mechanism involving an adsorbate (either the olefin or the hydrogen/deuterium atoms resulting from dissociative adsorption of H2/D2) and a gas-phase molecule (the other reactant), or, alternatively, it could reflect the limited diffusion of the hydrogen atoms on the surface under catalytic conditions because of site blocking by the islands of strongly bonded carbonaceous (alkylidyne) layers present during catalysis. Regardless, our data clearly show that the distribution of alkane isotopologues obtained from the conversion of olefins with deuterium can deviate significantly from statistical expectations.

Atomic and Molecular Collisions at Liquid Surfaces

The gas-liquid interface remains one of the least explored, but nevertheless most practically important, environments in which molecular collisions take place. These molecular-level processes underlie many bulk phenomena of fundamental and applied interest, spanning evaporation, respiration, multiphase catalysis, and atmospheric chemistry. We review here the research that has, during the past decade or so, been unraveling the molecular-level mechanisms of inelastic and reactive collisions at the gas-liquid interface. Armed with the knowledge that such collisions with the outer layers of the interfacial region can be unambiguously distinguished, we show that the scattering of gas-phase projectiles is a promising new tool for the interrogation of liquid surfaces with extreme surface sensitivity. Especially for reactive scattering, this method also offers absolute chemical selectivity for the groups that react to produce a specific observed product.

Quantum dynamics of polyatomic dissociative chemisorption on transition metal surfaces: mode specificity and bond selectivity

Recent advances in quantum dynamical characterization of polyatomic dissociative chemisorption on accurate global potential energy surfaces are critically reviewed.

A new Stark decelerator based surface scattering instrument for studying energy transfer at the gas-surface interface

We report on the design and characterization of a new apparatus for performing quantum-state resolved surface scattering experiments. The apparatus combines optical state-specific molecule preparation with a compact hexapole and a Stark decelerator to prepare carrier gas-free pulses of quantum-state pure CO molecules with velocities controllable between 33 and 1000 m/s with extremely narrow velocity distributions. The ultrahigh vacuum surface scattering chamber includes homebuilt ion and electron detectors, a closed-cycle helium cooled single crystal sample mount capable of tuning surface temperature between 19 and 1337 K, a Kelvin probe for non-destructive work function measurements, a precision leak valve manifold for targeted adsorbate deposition, an inexpensive quadrupole mass spectrometer modified to perform high resolution temperature programmed desorption experiments and facilities to clean and characterize the surface.

Heterogeneous catalysis

A heterogeneous catalyst is a functional material that continually creates active sites with its reactants under reaction conditions. These sites change the rates of chemical reactions of the reactants localized on them without changing the thermodynamic equilibrium between the materials.

Surface temperature effects on the dynamics of N2 Eley-Rideal recombination on W(100)

Quasiclassical trajectories simulations are performed to study the influence of surface temperature on the dynamics of a N atom colliding a N-preadsorbed W(100) surface under normal incidence. A generalized Langevin surface oscillator scheme is used to allow energy transfer between the nitrogen atoms and the surface. The influence of the surface temperature on the N(2) formed molecules via Eley-Rideal recombination is analyzed at T = 300, 800, and 1500 K. Ro-vibrational distributions of the N(2) molecules are only slightly affected by the presence of the thermal bath whereas kinetic energy is rather strongly decreased when going from a static surface model to a moving surface one. In terms of reactivity, the moving surface model leads to an increase of atomic trapping cross section yielding to an increase of the so-called hot atoms population and a decrease of the direct Eley-Rideal cross section. The energy exchange between the surface and the nitrogen atoms is semi-quantitatively interpreted by a simple binary collision model.

Dynamics simulation of N(2) scattering onto W(100,110) surfaces: A stringent test for the recently developed flexible periodic London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato potential energy surface

An efficient method to construct the six dimensional global potential energy surface (PES) for two atoms interacting with a periodic rigid surface, the flexible periodic London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato model, has been proposed recently. The main advantages of this model, compared to state-of-the-art interpolated ab initio PESs developed in the past, reside in its global nature along with the small number of electronic structure calculations required for its construction. In this work, we investigate to which extent this global representation is able to reproduce the fine details of the scattering dynamics of N(2) onto W(100,110) surfaces reported in previous dynamics simulations based on locally interpolated PESs. The N(2)/W(100) and N(2)/W(110) systems are chosen as benchmarks as they exhibit very unusual and distinct dissociative adsorption dynamics although chemically similar. The reaction pathways as well as the role of dynamic trapping are scrutinized. Besides, elastic/inelastic scattering dynamics including internal state and angular distributions of reflected molecules are also investigated. The results are shown to be in fair agreement with previous theoretical predictions.

Surface chemical reactions induced by well-controlled molecular beams: translational energy and molecular orientation control

I review our recent studies of chemical reactions on single-crystalline Cu and Si surfaces induced by hyperthermal oxygen molecular beams and by oriented molecular beams, respectively. Studies of oxide formation on Cu induced by hyperthermal molecular beams suggest that the translational energy of the incident molecules plays a significant role. The use of hyperthermal molecular beams enables us to open up new chemical reaction paths, and to develop new methods for the fabrication of thin films. Oriented molecular beams also demonstrate the possibility for controlling surface chemical reactions by varying the orientation of the incident molecules. The steric effects found on Si surfaces hint at new ways of achieving material fabrication on Si surfaces. Controlling the initial conditions of incoming molecules is a powerful tool for creating new materials on surfaces with well-controlled chemical reactions.

Coverage dependent adsorption dynamics in hyperthermal organic thin film growth

We have examined the dynamics of adsorption of diindenoperylene (DIP) on SiO(2) and SiO(2) modified with an interfacial organic layer using in situ real time synchrotron x-ray scattering, focusing on the effects of coverage. On both surfaces we observe a substantial increase in the probability of adsorption with increasing coverage, which is most dramatic at the highest incident kinetic energies. On the initially uncovered surfaces, we observe a smooth decrease in the probability of adsorption with increasing incident kinetic energy, indicative of trapping-mediated adsorption. Once both surfaces are covered by DIP, the effects of incident kinetic energy are greatly reduced, and trapping is very efficient over the range of kinetic energies examined. Possible reasons for efficient trapping at high coverage and at high incident kinetic energy include more efficient momentum transfer due to mass matching, and possibly direct molecular insertion. Comparison to results on another small-molecule, pentacene, suggests that this behavior should be common to hyperthermal growth of a variety of other small-molecule thin films.

Stereodynamics in state-resolved scattering at the gas-liquid interface

Stereodynamics at the gas-liquid interface provides insight into the important physical interactions that directly influence heterogeneous chemistry at the surface and within the bulk liquid. We investigate molecular beam scattering of CO(2) from a liquid perfluoropolyether (PFPE) surface in vacuum [incident energy E(inc) = 10.6(8) kcal/mol, incident angle theta(inc) = 60 degrees] to specifically reveal rotational angular-momentum directions for scattered molecules. Experimentally, internal quantum state populations and M(J) distributions are probed by high-resolution polarization-modulated infrared laser spectroscopy. Analysis of J-state populations reveals dual-channel scattering dynamics characterized by a two-temperature Boltzmann distribution for trapping-desorption and impulsive scattering. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations of CO(2) + fluorinated self-assembled monolayers have been used to model CO(2) + PFPE dynamics. Experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations reveal highly oriented CO(2) distributions that preferentially scatter with "top spin" as a strongly increasing function of J state.

Quantum state-resolved CO2 collisions at the gas-liquid interface: surface temperature-dependent scattering dynamics

Energy transfer dynamics at the gas-liquid interface are investigated as a function of surface temperature both by experimental studies of CO2 + perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) and by molecular dynamics simulations of CO2 + fluorinated self-assembled monolayers (F-SAMs). Using a normal incident molecular beam, the experimental studies probe scattered CO2 internal-state and translational distributions with high resolution infrared spectroscopy. At low incident energies [Einc = 1.6(1) kcal/mol], CO2 J-state populations and transverse Doppler velocity distributions are characteristic of the surface temperature (Trot approximately Ttrans approximately TS) over the range from 232 to 323 K. In contrast, the rotational and translational distributions at high incident energies [Einc = 10.6(8) kcal/mol] show evidence for both trapping-desorption (TD) and impulsive scattering (IS) events. Specifically, the populations are surprisingly well-characterized by a sum of Boltzmann distributions where the two components include one (TD) that equilibrates with the surface (TTD approximately TS) and a second (IS) that is much hotter than the surface temperature (TIS > TS). Support for the superthermal, yet Boltzmann, nature of the IS channel is provided by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of CO2 + F-SAMs [Einc = 10.6 kcal/mol], which reveal two-temperature distributions, sticking probabilities, and angular distributions in near quantitative agreement with the experimental PFPE results. Finally, experiments as a function of surface temperature reveal an increase in both sticking probability and rotational/translational temperature of the IS component. Such a trend is consistent with increased surface roughness at higher surface temperature, which increases the overall probability of trapping, yet preferentially leads to impulsive scattering of more highly internally excited CO2 from the surface.

An advanced molecule-surface scattering instrument for study of vibrational energy transfer in gas-solid collisions

We describe an advanced and highly sensitive instrument for quantum state-resolved molecule-surface energy transfer studies under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The apparatus includes a beam source chamber, two differential pumping chambers, and a UHV chamber for surface preparation, surface characterization, and molecular beam scattering. Pulsed and collimated supersonic molecular beams are generated by expanding target molecule mixtures through a home-built pulsed nozzle, and excited quantum state-selected molecules were prepared via tunable, narrow-band laser overtone pumping. Detection systems have been designed to measure specific vibrational-rotational state, time-of-flight, angular and velocity distributions of molecular beams coming to and scattered off the surface. Facilities are provided to clean and characterize the surface under UHV conditions. Initial experiments on the scattering of HCl(v = 0) from Au(111) show many advantages of this new instrument for fundamental studies of the energy transfer at the gas-surface interface.

Deposition and crystallization studies of thin amorphous solid water films on Ru(0001) and on CO-precovered Ru(0001)

The deposition and the isothermal crystallization kinetics of thin amorphous solid water (ASW) films on both Ru(0001) and CO-precovered Ru(0001) have been investigated in real time by simultaneously employing helium atom scattering, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and isothermal temperature-programmed desorption. During ASW deposition, the interaction between water and the substrate depends critically on the amount of preadsorbed CO. However, the mechanism and kinetics of the crystallization of approximately 50 layers thick ASW film were found to be independent of the amount of preadsorbed CO. We demonstrate that crystallization occurs through random nucleation events in the bulk of the material, followed by homogeneous growth, for solid water on both substrates. The morphological change involving the formation of three-dimensional grains of crystalline ice results in the exposure of the water monolayer just above the substrate to the vacuum during the crystallization process on both substrates.

Observation of a change of vibrational excitation mechanism with surface temperature: HCl collisions with Au(111)

We have measured the vibrational excitation probability (Pv) of HCl incident on a Au(111) surface at kinetic energies (Ei) of 0.59 eV to 1.37 eV and surface temperatures (Ts) of 273 K to 1073 K. For all energies, the slope of the Pv as a function of Ts exhibits a sharp increase above Ts approximately 800 K. We show this change in slope and the threshold behavior of Pv to be consistent with a change in excitation mechanism from an electronically adiabatic mechanical mechanism to an electronically nonadiabatic mechanism involving excited electron-hole pairs.

Controlling the early stages of pentacene growth by supersonic molecular beam deposition

The key role of the pentacene kinetic energy (Ek) in the early stages of growth on SiOx/Si is demonstrated: islands with smooth borders and increased coalescence differ remarkably from fractal-like thermal growth. Increasing Ek to 6.4 eV, the morphology evolves towards higher density of smaller islands. At higher coverage, coalescence grows with Ek up to a much more uniform, less defected monolayer. The growth, interpreted by the diffusion mediated model, shows the critical nucleus changing from 3 to 2 pentacene for Ek>5-6 eV. Optimal conditions to produce single crystalline films are envisaged.

Adsorption and reaction of methanol on supported palladium catalysts: microscopic-level studies from ultrahigh vacuum to ambient pressure conditions

We investigated the decomposition and (partial) oxidation of methanol on Pd based catalysts in an integrated attempt, simultaneously bridging both the pressure and the materials gap. Combined studies were performed on well-defined Pd model catalysts based on ordered Al(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) thin films, on well-defined particles supported on powders and on Pd single crystals. The interaction of Pd nanoparticles and Pd(111) with CH(3)OH and CH(3)OH/O(2) mixtures was examined from ultrahigh vacuum conditions up to ambient pressures, utilizing a broad range of surface specific vibrational spectroscopies which included IRAS, TR-IRAS, PM-IRAS, SFG, and DRIFTS. Detailed kinetic studies in the low pressure region were performed by molecular beam methods, providing comprehensive insights into the microkinetics of the reaction system. The underlying microscopic processes were studied theoretically on the basis of specially designed 3-D nanocluster models containing approximately 10(2) metal atoms. The efficiency of this novel modelling approach was demonstrated by rationalizing and complementing pertinent experimental results. In order to connect these results to the behavior under ambient conditions, kinetic and spectroscopic investigations were performed in reaction cells and lab reactors. Specifically, we focused on (1) particle size and structure dependent effects in methanol oxidation and decomposition, (2) support effects and their relation to activity and selectivity, (3) the influence of poisons such as carbon, and (4) the role of oxide and surface oxide formation on Pd nanoparticles.

Collisions and reactions of gaseous propanol with molten NaOH∕KOH

Molecular beam scattering experiments are used to investigate collisions of a protic molecule, deuterated 1-propanol (PrOD), with an extremely basic solvent, the 5149 mol % NaOH/KOH eutectic mixture. This powerful deprotonating medium readily absorbs PrOD from the gas phase. Nearly all PrOD molecules that thermalize at the surface of the melt enter the liquid and dissolve for long times, most likely residing as PrO- after deprotonation by OH-. The PrO- solvation time is controlled by dissolved H2O, which reprotonates the anion and liberates D --> H exchanged PrOH. We find no evidence for decomposition of the alcohol; at the 463 K temperature of the experiments, the hydroxide solution appears to store propanol reversibly.