Where are Protons and Deuterons in KHpD1-pCO3? A Neutron Diffraction Study

François Fillaux (1) , Alain Cousson (2)

1 LADIR - Laboratoire de Dynamique Interactions et Réactivité
2 LLB - UMR 12 - Laboratoire Léon Brillouin

The crystals of potassium hydrogen carbonate (KHCO3) and the KDCO3 analogue are isomorphous. They are composed of hydrogen or deuterium bonded centrosymmetric dimers (HCO3-)(2) or (DCO3-)(2). The space group symmetry of KHpD1-pCO3 (p approximate to 0.75) determined with neutron diffraction is identical to those of KHCO3 and KDCO3. This is at variance with a random distribution of H and D nuclei. These crystals are macroscopic quantum systems in which protons or/and deuterons merge into macroscopic states.

Mots clés: Neutron Diffraction; Isotope Mixture; Nonlocality; Quantum Superposition; Hydrogen Bonding

Domaines: Autre [cond-mat.other]; Chimie théorique et/ou physique

François Fillaux, Alain Cousson. Where are Protons and Deuterons in KHpD1-pCO3? A Neutron Diffraction Study. Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie, 2008, 222 (8-9), pp.1279-1290. ⟨10.1524/zpch.2008.5388⟩. ⟨hal-00369697⟩