Signatures of Nanoconfinement on the Linear and Nonlinear Vibrational Spectroscopy of a Model Hydrogen-Bonded Complex Dissolved in a Polar Solvent

The one-dimensional IR (1D-IR) absorption and IR pump–probe spectra of a hydrogen stretch in a model hydrogen-bonded complex dissolved in a polar solvent confined in spherical hydrophobic cavities of different sizes were simulated using ground-state mixed quantum-classical dynamics. Due to a thorough analysis of key properties of the complex and solvent from equilibrium trajectory data, we were able to gain insight into the microscopic details underlying the spectra. Both the 1D-IR and IR pump–probe spectra manifested the effects of confinement on the relative stabilities of the covalent and ionic forms of the complex through pronounced changes in their peak intensities and numbers. However, in contrast to the 1D-IR spectra, the time-resolved pump–probe spectra were found to be uniquely sensitive to the changes in the molecular dynamics as the cavity size is varied. In particular, it was found that the variations in the time evolutions of the peak intensities in the pump–probe spectra reflect the differences in the solvation dynamics associated with the various forms of the complex in different locations within the cavities. The ability to detect these differences underscores the advantage of using pump–probe spectroscopy for studying nanoconfined systems