Yifat Miller

(Figure Presented) Bigger is better: Proton transfer in the electronic ground state for (C₆H₅NH^-)·(H ₂O)_n has been investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy. At a critical size of n = 3, one proton of a water molecule is captured by the deprotonated aniline to form solvated OH^- (see picture). These experimental observations are supported by ab initio calculations that establish the greater stability of the solvated OH^- anion for n ≥ 3.