Vanadium cluster cations with one, two or three adsorbed water molecules are investigated with infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the region of the bending mode of water. In all of these complexes, the bending mode of adsorbed water is measured near the corresponding frequency of the isolated molecule. Dissociation processes are efficient, indicating that these resonances are characteristic of a substantial fraction of all complexes present. This indicates that water is adsorbed without significant dissociation on these clusters. Clusters with two or three water molecules have similar resonances near the bending mode of free water, indicating independent absorption without hydrogen bonding. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.