Aqueous surfaces mediate many biological and catalytic processes. The water structure and dynamics at interfaces depend critically on the chemical nature of the surface. While there have been many studies, both theoretical and empirical, the interaction between water and surfaces is not yet well understood due in part to the rapid (sub picosecond) time evolution and nanometer scale of the interfacial water region. Advanced nonlinear optical methods offer the ultrafast time resolution and surface specificity needed, but require an infrared and visible transparent substrate to access the water interface. We use self-assembled monolayers to systematically tune the chemical functionality of UV through IR transparent substrates. We examine the structure of water at pure hydrophobic (CH3), hydrophilic (OH), and mixed monolayers with sum-frequency generation. These static experiments will lead into time resolved measurements to directly probe the water dynamics at interfaces with tunable chemical characteristics.

Nonlinear optical spectroscopy of water structure at tunable surfaces

244th National Meeting (2012)

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