Scientists reveal how dissolution of salt in water happens at atomic level

SHENZHEN -- Chinese scientists, in collaboration with their counterparts from the Republic of Korea, have observed the dissolution process of salt in water at the atomic level for the first time using a single-ion control technique and successfully controlled this process.

The research conducted by scientists from Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

The researchers successfully manipulated a single water molecule at an under-coordinated site of a sodium chloride film at a temperature of minus 268.8 degrees Celsius.

Using a scanning tunneling microscope with atomic-level resolution, researchers precisely controlled the water molecule's movement and observed the chloride ion's dissolution process.

Additionally, the researchers discovered that by precisely controlling the position and movement of water molecules, selective dissolution of sodium and chloride ions can be achieved, indicating a certain level of control over the atomic-level dissolution process.

According to Ding Feng, a researcher at SIAT, as ions can alter the performance of batteries or semiconductor materials, this study will provide new insights for the development of novel materials.