Liquid phase dynamics of molten M2S2O7 (M = K, Cs): A temperature dependent Raman spectroscopic study

The dynamics of M2S2O7 (M = K, Cs) pyrosulfate salts in the liquid state is investigated by steady-state Raman spectroscopic experiments performed at temperatures up to 600 °C. The symmetric stretching modes of the S2O72− ions have been used as probes of the dynamics of these melts. Contrary to the most previous picosecond dynamics studies performed by means of Raman line profile analysis, we have employed in this work an approach that enables the extraction of valuable information concerning short-time dynamics by calculating time correlation functions of vibrational relaxation by fits in the frequency domain. The fitting method used enables the modeling of the real line profiles in a manner that is intermediate between Lorentzian and Gaussian by means of a function, which has an analytical counterpart in the time domain. The vibrational time correlation functions for both molten salts studied are rather adequately interpreted within the assumption of exponential modulation function concerning the environmental modulation in the context of Kubo–Rothschild approach and indicate that the system experiences an intermediate dynamical regime that gets only slower with increasing temperature. Continuous temperature dependence of the dephasing parameters is observed, while the temperature dependence of the dispersion parameter α indicates deviation from the simple liquid model and offers a complete picture of the way a complex liquid attains the condition of a simple one. The evolution of the dispersion parameter is indicative of the reduction of the coherence decay in the perturbation potential as a consequence of local short-lived aggregates. The experimental results are discussed in terms of theoretical models providing insight in the intermolecular coupling mechanisms.