Attenuated total reflection FT-IR study of hydrogen bonding in water/ethermixtures

A FTIR-ATR study of hydrogen bonding in binary aqueous mixtures containing tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane or poly(ethylene oxide) is reported. Observed spectra were converted to linear absorption coefficient spectra using the B ertie-Eysel procedure. The frequency of the OH stretching mode in isotopica lly dilute HOD was found to increase with ether concentration, implying a c ontinuous reduction in average hydrogen-bond strength. In water-rich mixtur es, the initial gradients were proportional to the number of oxygen atoms i n the cyclic ether molecules or in the polymer subunit. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.