Dynamics of camphor sulphonic acid: a quasielastic neutron scattering study Original Research Article

Molecular motions in mono-hydrated racemic camphor sulphonic acid (±)-10-C10H16O4S−–H3O+ which is abbreviated as (CSA–H2O) were investigated using incoherent neutron scattering techniques. Analysis of the intensity of the purely elastic scattering over a wide temperature range (4–340 K) carried out with a high-resolution backscattering spectrometer revealed the onset of molecular motions at ca. 100 K which could be observed on the 10−10 s time-scale up to T=180 K. These motions were identified as 120° jumps of the methyl groups. Quasielastic measurements using both the backscattering and the time-of-flight techniques enabled to study this movement from 150 to 340 K. The corresponding characteristic time was found to follow an Arrhenius law with an activation energy ΔH=12.0±0.2 kJ mol−1. All the methyl groups appear as dynamically equivalent. That result is at contrast with earlier studies on conducting polymers where CSA was introduced as a counter-ion and for which the intermolecular effects were found to strongly influence the dynamics. Inspection of the low frequency part of the vibrational spectrum evidences deformations of the C–C–S angle and rotational oscillations of the hydration molecules.