Microwave irradiation affects ion pairing in aqueous solutions of alkali halide salts

Using the molecular dynamics simulations with separate thermostats for translational and rotational degrees of freedom, we investigate the effects of water’s rotational motion on the ion pairing of ionic solutes in aqueous solutions. The situation with rotational temperature higher than the translational one, Trot>Ttrs, is mimicking the non-equilibrium effects of microwaves on model solutions of alkali halide salts. The simulations reveal that an increase in the rotational temperature at constant translational temperature exerts significant changes in the structure of the solution. The latter are reflected in increased pairing of the oppositely charged ions, which can be explained by the weaker ability of rotationally excited water to screen and separate the opposite charges. It seems that Collins’ law of matching water affinities retains its validity also in the non-equilibrium situation where the rotational temperature exceeds the translational one. On the other hand, the equilibrium effect (i.e., an in...