ORIENTATIONAL CORRELATIONS AND HYDROGEN-BONDING IN LIQUID-HYDROGEN CHLORIDE

Neutron diffraction data, obtained by employing the hydrogen isotope s ubstitution technique, on orthobaric hydrogen chloride at two state po ints are presented. The site-site radial distribution functions are de rived from these data and are compared with similar results obtained p reviously for hydrogen iodide and hydrogen bromide. Comparison of the measured hydrogen-hydrogen and chlorine-hydrogen radial distribution f unctions with those derived assuming uncorrelated orientations demonst rates the presence of strong orientational correlations between first neighboring HCl molecules at both states. An analysis of molecular con figurations compatible with the experimental data as generated by a Mo nte Carlo simulation routine is used to discuss the extent of hydrogen bonding in liquid HCl. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.