Inelastic neutron scattering studies of hydrated CuO, ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles

•INS spectra of hydrated CeO2, ZnO, and CuO nanoparticles are presented.•The heat capacities for the nanoparticle hydration layers have been calculated.•The chemistry of the particles influences the thermodynamic properties of the water.

In this contribution we demonstrate how the vibrational density of states (VDOS) for water confined to the surface of CeO2, CuO and ZnO nanoparticles can be determined from high-resolution, low-temperature, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra. These VDOS have been employed in the calculation of the isochoric heat capacities (0-300 K) and room temperature vibrational entropies of the nanoparticle hydration layers. The results from this analysis clearly demonstrate that the structure and chemical composition of the metal oxide nanoparticles has a notable effect on the thermodynamic properties of their hydration layers.

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