Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Chemical Reactions in Aqueous Solutions

Chemical Reactions in Aqueous Solutions

Chemical substances interact in many different ways. Certain chemical reactions exhibit common patterns of reactivity. Due to the vast number of chemical reactions, it becomes necessary to classify them based on the observed patterns of interaction.

Solution Formation

Solution Formation

There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride.
This selective solubility...

Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration

Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration

Water and other polar molecules are attracted to ions. The electrostatic attraction between an ion and a molecule with a dipole is called an ion-dipole attraction. These attractions play an important role in the dissolution of ionic compounds in water.
When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse uniformly throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions, reducing the strong electrostatic forces between them. This process...

Energetics of Solution Formation

Energetics of Solution Formation

The formation of a solution is an example of a spontaneous process, which is a process that occurs under specified conditions without energy from some external source.
When the strengths of the intermolecular forces of attraction between solute and solvent species in a solution are no different than those present in the separated components, the solution is formed with no accompanying energy change. Formation of the solution requires the solute–solute and solvent–solvent electrostatic forces to...

Chemical and Solubility Equilibria

Chemical and Solubility Equilibria

The free energy change associated with dissolving a solute in a liter of solvent is called the free energy of a solution, ΔGsolution. The overall ΔGsolution is expressed as the balance of ΔGinteraction against the always-favorable free-energy of mixing, ΔGmixing. Solution formation is favorable if ΔGsolution is less than zero, whereas it is unfavorable if ΔGsolution is greater than zero. In short, for a solution to form and complete dissolution to take place, the Gibbs energy change must be...

Nonideal Two-Component Liquid Solutions

Nonideal Two-Component Liquid Solutions

Nonideal liquid solutions, also known as real solutions, do not strictly follow Raoult's law. Raoult's law is a rule of thumb in physical chemistry. However, not all mixtures adhere to this law due to varying molecular interactions. For example, in an acetone/chloroform solution, the individual vapor pressures of the components are lower than expected, resulting in a total vapor pressure below that predicted by Raoult's law, causing a negative deviation.On the other hand, in an ethanol/water...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Water and counterion structuring around cyclic anionic surfactant micelles in solution.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2026

Same author

Molecular and pore-scale structure evolution in amorphous solid water.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025

Same author

Are Grignard Reactions in Deep Eutectic Solvents Interface-Driven?

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2025

Same author

Cationic and Nonionic Surfactant Micelles in a Halogen-Free Carboxylic Acid-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2025

Same author

Using neutrons to ascertain the impact of deposition temperature on amorphous solid water.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025

Same author

Tracking Minority Species in Redox Reactions: A Quantitative Combined XAS and Modulation Excitation Study.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Chemical Gardens as Flow-through Reactors Simulating Natural Hydrothermal Systems

Chemical Gardens as Flow-through Reactors Simulating Natural Hydrothermal Systems

Published on: November 18, 2015

Experimental configurational landscapes in aqueous solutions.

John L Finney¹, Daniel T Bowron

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. j.finney@ucl.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences

|January 25, 2005

Summary

Solvent conditions significantly impact molecular structures and interactions in solutions. Researchers can now experimentally map the energy landscapes governing these molecular transitions, revealing key insights into solution behavior.

More Related Videos

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation

Published on: August 28, 2017

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Published on: January 31, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Chemical Gardens as Flow-through Reactors Simulating Natural Hydrothermal Systems

Chemical Gardens as Flow-through Reactors Simulating Natural Hydrothermal Systems

Published on: November 18, 2015

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation

Published on: August 28, 2017

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior

Published on: January 31, 2020

Area of Science:

Physical Chemistry
Solution Chemistry
Molecular Dynamics

Background:

Solvents play a crucial role in modulating molecular structures and interactions.
Changes in solvent conditions can induce significant structural transitions, such as protein folding and micelle formation.
Understanding these solvent-mediated processes is vital for various scientific disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate the configurational energy landscapes of molecular systems in solution.
To examine the structural transitions of amphiphile solutions induced by varying temperature, concentration, and salt.
To identify critical regions within these energy landscapes and explore experimentally accessible potentials of mean force.

Main Methods:

Experimental exploration of configurational energy landscapes in liquid systems.
Analysis of aqueous amphiphile solutions under varied conditions (temperature, concentration, salt).
Characterization of solvent-modulated interactions through potentials of mean force.

Main Results:

Demonstrated experimental access to configurational energy landscapes of complex liquid systems.
Identified specific structural transitions in amphiphile solutions driven by environmental changes.
Located critical regions within the energy landscape governing these transitions.
Showcased the experimental accessibility of potentials of mean force for quantitative interaction descriptions.

Conclusions:

Experimental methods now allow for the detailed exploration of molecular behavior in solution.
Solvent modulation is a key factor in controlling molecular assembly and structural changes.
Potentials of mean force provide a quantitative framework for understanding solvent-mediated interactions.