Scientists have developed a novel method to study the elusive solvation shells that form when substances dissolve in liquids. These shells are crucial for understanding various scientific fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, atmospheric science, and electrochemistry.
When substances dissolve, a layer of solvent molecules surrounds the dissolved particles, acquiring unique properties from other free solvent molecules. However, studying these shells has been challenging due to their complex nature and difficulty in targeting specific solvent molecules.
The research team used resonant intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) to probe solvation shells. They excited molecules with X-rays and observed how they interacted with neighbors during the decay process. This method revealed a powerful indicator of ion pair formation and allowed scientists to measure the electron binding energies of water molecules in the first solvation shell, previously unattainable.
This new method provides a powerful tool for studying solvation shells in greater detail, which is essential for understanding various scientific fields. The study’s findings have significant implications for these broad scientific and engineering fields.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-09-method-hidden-world-solvation-shells.html