C-H-O interaction of acetone and deuterium oxide has been probed by high pr
essure. High-pressure study provides the first experimental evidence for th
e enhancement of hydrophobic hydration of acetone as its aqueous solution w
as compressed to high-pressure ices. Based on the results, we conclude that
the C-H-O interaction may be a distinct possibility to understand the orig
in of the spectral feature located at similar to 2950 cm(-1), being sensiti
ve to concentration and pressure dependence. Ab initio calculation results,
forecasting the frequency red shift of the C-H stretching vibration as C-H
-O is interacted via hydrogen bonding, are discussed. This study demonstrat
es that high pressure can be used as a valuable means of triggering and inv
estigating C-H-O hydrogen-bonding interaction. (C) 2001 American Institute
of Physics.