How ions are solvated in solution has intrigued physical chemists since the development of the theory of electrolytic dissociation at the end of the nineteenth century. A molecular-level understanding of ion solvation is not only important for understanding chemical processes in solution, but also plays an important role in understanding the surface speciation and reactivity of aerosols. Infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of mass-selected ions, thermalized to cryogenic temperatures, allows for a detailed characterization of the influence of the stepwise solvation of an ion on its properties, one solvent molecule at a time. Recent advances in the vibrational spectroscopy of microhydrated anions and ionic salt complexes are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the spectral fingerprint of large amplitude motion resulting from dynamic and entropic effects.

Ion microsolvation probed by cryogenic ion trap vibrational spectroscopy

251st National Meeting (2016)

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