Electronic and vibrational spectra of protonated benzaldehyde-water clusters, [BZ-(H2O)n≤5]H+: evidence for ground-state proton transfer to solvent for n ≥ 3.

Vibrational and electronic photodissociation spectra of mass-selected protonated benzaldehyde-(water)n clusters, [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) with n ≤ 5, are analyzed by quantum chemical calculations to determine the protonation site in the ground electronic state (S0) and ππ() excited state (S1) as a function of microhydration. IR spectra of [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) with n ≤ 2 are consistent with BZH(+)-(H2O)n type structures, in which the excess proton is localized on benzaldehyde. IR spectra of clusters with n ≥ 3 are assigned to structures, in which the excess proton is located on the (H2O)n solvent moiety, BZ-(H2O)nH(+). Quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP, MP2, and ri-CC2 levels support the conclusion of proton transfer from BZH(+) to the solvent moiety in the S0 state for hydration sizes larger than the critical value nc = 3. The vibronic spectrum of the S1 ← S0 transition (ππ()) of the n = 1 cluster is consistent with a cis-BZH(+)-H2O structure in both electronic states. The large blueshift of the S1 origin by 2106 cm(-1) upon hydration with a single H2O ligand indicates that the proton affinity of BZ is substantially increased upon S1 excitation, thus strongly destabilizing the hydrogen bond to the solvent. The adiabatic S1 excitation energy and vibronic structure calculated at the ri-CC2/aug-cc-pVDZ level agrees well with the measured spectrum, supporting the notion of a cis-BZH(+)-H2O geometry. The doubly hydrated species, cis-BZH(+)-(H2O)2, does not absorb in the spectral range of 23 000-27 400 cm(-1), because of the additional large blueshift of the ππ() transition upon attachment of the second H2O molecule. Calculations predict roughly linear and large incremental blueshifts for the ππ() transition in [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) as a function of n. In the size range n ≥ 3, the calculations predict a proton transfer from the (H2O)nH(+) solvent back to the BZ solute upon electronic ππ(*) excitation.