Molecular level investigation of water's hydrogen bonding network in salt solutions
Monday, November 21, 2016 - 09:21
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org)—What happens at the molecular level when salt dissolves in water? In introductory chemistry classes, we learn about the solubility of salts that dissociate into ions in water. Water has a complex hydrogen bonding network that should be disrupted by the presence of ions. However, studies have shown that there is little disruption to the hydrogen-bonding network. There is still debate as to the extent of molecular-level distortions that solvation of ions causes in water.