{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T12:23:33Z","timestamp":1787228613374,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"American Chemical Society (ACS)","issue":"33","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"stm-asf","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15223\/policy-029"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"stm-asf","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15223\/policy-037"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"stm-asf","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15223\/policy-045"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016697","name":"Youth Innovation Technology Project of Higher School in Shandong Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025KJG058"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025KJG058"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016697","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Water confined in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films exhibits enhanced basicity toward embedded chromophores, yet whether this anomalous reactivity reflects a broader acid\u2013base duality remains unexplored. Here, using 5-methoxyflavone (5MF) as a photobase probe whose C\u2550O stretch is spectrally isolated in FTIR, we uncover that short hydrogen bonds (SHBs) render the same confined water capable of protonating 5MF without external acid. In low-water-content PVA films, the C\u2550O stretch of 5MF red-shifts substantially, confirming SHB formation. Time-resolved fluorescence reveals two protonated emission bands with identical, short lifetimes, distinct from the long-lived free cation in acidic films\u2500pointing to a tightly bound 5MFH+\u00b7\u00b7\u00b7OH\u2013 complex rather than free 5MFH+. DFT calculations suggest that the distinct emissions can be rationalized as two limiting wave function distributions of the same proton undergoing quantum delocalization within the SHB. This unified SHB picture resolves the conflicting acid\u2013base behaviors of confined water and highlights the potential of PVA films as versatile platforms for exploring acid\u2013base phenomena enabled by nanoconfinement.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jpcb.6c04663","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T07:03:01Z","timestamp":1786345381000},"page":"8564-8569","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Short Hydrogen\nBonds Unify the Duality of Confined\nWater as Both Acid and Base in Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films"],"prefix":"10.1021","volume":"130","author":[{"given":"Qin","family":"Yu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiya","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ziyi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fengling","family":"Mei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Binghan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3928-793X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jian","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yangtze University , , ,","place":["Jingzhou, China, 434023"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"316","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13675","DOI":"10.1021\/jacs.1c05213","article-title":"Large-Area, Flexible,\nTransparent, and Long-Lived Polymer-Based Phosphorescence Films","volume":"143","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/anie.202403391","article-title":"Circularly\nPolarized Room Temperature Phosphorescence through Twisting-Induced\nHelical Structures from Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Fibers Containing\nHydrogen-Bonded Dyes","volume":"63","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Angew. Chem., Int. Ed."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6656","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.macromol.0c00839","article-title":"Introduction\nof Disorder\nin the Crystal Structures of Atactic Poly(vinyl Alcohol) and Its Iodine\nComplex To Solve a Dilemma between X-ray and Neutron Diffraction Data\nAnalyses","volume":"53","author":"Tashiro","year":"2020","journal-title":"Macromolecules"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101198","DOI":"10.1016\/j.surfin.2021.101198","article-title":"Crosslinked poly (vinyl alcohol):\nStructural, optical and mechanical properties","volume":"25","author":"Sau","year":"2021","journal-title":"Surf. 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Chem. Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178001","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.134.178001","article-title":"Quantum Delocalization Enables Water\nDissociation on Ru(0001)","volume":"134","author":"Cao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7111","DOI":"10.1021\/jacs.1c10885","article-title":"Importance\nof Nuclear Quantum Effects for Molecular Cocrystals with Short Hydrogen\nBonds","volume":"144","author":"S\u030ctoc\u030cek","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Am. Chem. Soc."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6666","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-022-33868-8","article-title":"Short hydrogen-bond network confined\non COF surfaces enables ultrahigh proton conductivity","volume":"13","author":"Shi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat. 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Sci."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113269","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dyepig.2025.113269","article-title":"Photophysical properties\nof 5-methoxyflavone and its protonated species influenced by intermolecular\nhydrogen bonding and environmental rigidity","volume":"245","author":"Hu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Dyes Pigments"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1016\/S0009-2614(01)00399-2","article-title":"Spectroscopy and\nDynamics of Excited-State Intramolecular Proton-Transfer Reaction\nin 5-Hydroxyflavone","volume":"340","author":"Chou","year":"2001","journal-title":"Chem. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"112039","DOI":"10.1016\/j.colsurfb.2021.112039","article-title":"New insights\ninto ESIPT mechanism of three sunscreen compounds in solution: A combined\nexperimental and theoretical study","volume":"207","author":"Ji","year":"2021","journal-title":"Colloid.\nSurface B"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"140189","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cplett.2022.140189","article-title":"Ultrafast excited\nstate dynamics of two non-emissive flavonoids that undergo excited\nstate intramolecular proton transfer in solution","volume":"811","author":"Han","year":"2023","journal-title":"Chem. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1184","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jpclett.5c00052","article-title":"Ultrafast Intersystem\nCrossing in Naturally Occurring Plant Pigments 5-Hydroxyflavones under\nDirect UV Excitation","volume":"16","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Phys. Chem. Lett."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113087","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jphotobiol.2024.113087","article-title":"Excited-state\nantioxidant activity for apigenin based on external electric field-modulated\nESIPT behavior: TD-DFT and molecular docking calculations","volume":"262","author":"Tang","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Photochem. Photobiol., B"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11328","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jpcb.4c06452","article-title":"Fluorescence Enhancement\nof Nonemissive Monodeprotonated Luteolin\nin a Poly(vinyl alcohol) Film","volume":"128","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Phys. Chem.\nB"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9529","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jpcb.5c04668","article-title":"Strong Microbasicity in PVA\/ChCl\nEutectogels Induced by a Large Population\nof Bound Water","volume":"129","author":"Hou","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Phys. Chem. B"},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit38","unstructured":"Frisch, M. J.; Trucks, G. W.; Schlegel, H. B.; Scuseria, G. E.; Robb, M. A.; Cheeseman, J. R.; Scalmani, G.; Barone, V.; Petersson, G. 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Phys."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1021\/ar700111a","article-title":"Density Functionals With Broad Applicability in Chemistry","volume":"41","author":"Zhao","year":"2008","journal-title":"Acc. Chem. Res."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4708","DOI":"10.1063\/1.1394921","article-title":"Time-dependent density\nfunctional theory for molecules\nin liquid solutions","volume":"115","author":"Cossi","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Chem. Phys."},{"key":"2026082007203178100_cit43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2999","DOI":"10.1021\/cr9904009","article-title":"Quantum mechanical continuum solvation\nmodels","volume":"105","author":"Tomasi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Chem. 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Eng., C"}],"container-title":["The Journal of Physical\nChemistry B"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/acs.jpcb.6c04663","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"unspecified"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/jpcbfk\/article-pdf\/130\/33\/8564\/66469094\/acs.jpcb.6c04663.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/jpcbfk\/article-pdf\/130\/33\/8564\/66469094\/acs.jpcb.6c04663.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T11:24:10Z","timestamp":1787225050000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/jpcbfk\/article\/130\/33\/8564\/5250967\/Short-Hydrogen-Bonds-Unify-the-Duality-of-Confined"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"33","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.jpcb.6c04663","relation":{},"ISSN":["1520-6106","1520-5207"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1520-6106","type":"print"},{"value":"1520-5207","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]}}}