The effect of ion pairs on water structure

Abstract

A Monte Carlo study of lithium chloride and potassium fluoride in water clusters is reported. The ion-water and water-water interactions are modelled using Hartree-Fock potentials. Results are given for clusters of 50 molecules with a fixed ion-ion distance of 4 Å at a temperature of 298 K. It is shown that all four ions have strongly bound first-neighbour shells and that some water structure is discernible beyond the second-neighbour shell. When ion pairs are close together, as in this study, their coordination numbers are not independent.