Influence of ions on the hydrogen-bond structure in liquid water

The orientational-correlation time of water molecules in ionic solutions has been measured with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. It is found that the addition of ions has no influence on the rotational dynamics of water molecules outside the first solvation shells of the ions. This shows that the presence of ions does not lead to an enhancement or a breakdown of the hydrogen-bond network in liquid water. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.