Seeing Molecules in Motion in Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Hydrogen bonds play critical roles in determining the structural, thermodynamic and dynamical behavior of water and aqueous solutions. In solutions of ions in water, the hydrogen bonded network can be perturbed significantly by the presence of ions. This perturbation, in turn, changes many of the equilibrium and dynamical properties of water in the solutions compared to those in pure water. The network of hydrogen bonds is dynamic in nature. It fluctuates at a very fast rate due to breaking and reformation of hydrogen bonds. In the present article, a brief review is made of some of the recent computer simulation studies to ‘see’ these hydrogen bonded molecules in motion in aqueous solutions. Connections of the simulation results are also made to some of the recent experimental studies on aqueous solutions using the method of time dependent infrared spectroscopy.