Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Entropy and Solvation02:05

Entropy and Solvation

The process of surrounding a solute with solvent is called solvation. It involves evenly distributing the solute within the solvent. The rule of thumb for determining a solvent for a given compound is that like dissolves like. A good solvent has molecular characteristics similar to those of the compound to be dissolved. For example, polar solutions dissolve polar solutes, and apolar solvents dissolve apolar solutes. A polar solvent is a solvent that has a high dielectric constant (ϵ ≥ 15); an...
Solubility of Ionic Compounds02:55

Solubility of Ionic Compounds

Solubility is the measure of the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a given quantity of solvent at a given temperature and pressure. Solubility is usually measured in molarity (M) or moles per liter (mol/L). A compound is termed soluble if it dissolves in water.
Solubility03:00

Solubility

Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...
Chemical Shift: Internal References and Solvent Effects01:17

Chemical Shift: Internal References and Solvent Effects

In an NMR sample, precise measurement of the absolute absorption frequencies of nuclei is difficult. A standard internal reference compound is added, and the frequency difference between the reference signal and sample signals is measured.
The internal reference compound generally used in NMR spectroscopy is tetramethylsilane (TMS). TMS is preferred because it is chemically inert, soluble in NMR solvents, and easily removable. Also, the highly shielded methyl protons in TMS yield an intense...
Solubility Equilibria03:07

Solubility Equilibria

Solubility equilibria are established when the dissolution and precipitation of a solute species occur at equal rates. These equilibria underlie many natural and technological processes, ranging from tooth decay to water purification. An understanding of the factors affecting compound solubility is, therefore, essential to the effective management of these processes. This section applies previously introduced equilibrium concepts and tools to systems involving dissolution and precipitation.
The...
Solvating Effects02:12

Solvating Effects

An understanding of the solvating effect helps rationalize the relation between solvation and acidity of the compound. In addition, this also explains the relative stability of conjugate bases for compounds with different pKa values. This lesson details, in-depth, the principle of solvating effects. The strength of an acid and the stability of its corresponding conjugate base are determined using pKa values. This observed relationship is a consequence of solvation, which is the interaction...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Corrigendum to 'Sauna culture improves physical and mental wellbeing in the UK through social connection and ritual' [Soc. Sci. Med. 394, April 2026, 119061].

Social science & medicine (1982)·2026
Same author

Sauna culture improves physical and mental wellbeing in the UK through social connection and ritual.

Social science & medicine (1982)·2026
Same author

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Chemical Shift as a Probe for Single-Molecule Charge Transport.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2024
Same author

Australian dental practitioners experience of burnout.

Journal of public health dentistry·2023
Same author

The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of Victorian children born with cleft lip and/or palate.

Orthodontics & craniofacial research·2023
Same author

Mental health, psychological distress and burnout in Australian dental practitioners.

Australian dental journal·2023
Same journal

Erratum: Bacterial Turbulence at Compressible Fluid Interfaces [Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 138301 (2026)].

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Unveiling Light-Quark Yukawa Flavor Structure via Dihadron Fragmentation at Lepton Colliders.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Adaptable Route to Fast Coherent State Transport via Bang-Bang-Bang Protocols.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Topological Transition and Emergence of Elasticity of Dislocation in Skyrmion Lattice: Beyond Kittel's Magnetic-Polar Analogy.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Pound-Drever-Hall Method for Superconducting-Qubit Readout.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Coupling a ^{73}Ge Nuclear Spin to an Electrostatically Defined Quantum Dot in Silicon.

Physical review letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Total Internal Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (TIRAS) for the Detection of Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-liquid Interface
08:50

Total Internal Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (TIRAS) for the Detection of Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-liquid Interface

Published on: January 24, 2018

Single-molecule solvation-shell sensing.

E Leary1, H Höbenreich, S J Higgins

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Liverpool University, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom.

Physical Review Letters
|March 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single-molecule sensing is achieved using solvation shells. Water molecules dramatically increase molecular wire conductance, with longer wires showing a greater effect.

More Related Videos

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

High Resolution Physical Characterization of Single Metallic Nanoparticles
09:56

High Resolution Physical Characterization of Single Metallic Nanoparticles

Published on: June 28, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Total Internal Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (TIRAS) for the Detection of Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-liquid Interface
08:50

Total Internal Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (TIRAS) for the Detection of Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-liquid Interface

Published on: January 24, 2018

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
06:32

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions

Published on: July 28, 2022

High Resolution Physical Characterization of Single Metallic Nanoparticles
09:56

High Resolution Physical Characterization of Single Metallic Nanoparticles

Published on: June 28, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Molecular electronics
  • Nanoscale sensing
  • Physical chemistry

Background:

  • Solvation shells influence molecular properties.
  • Molecular wires are key components in nanoscale electronics.
  • Oligothiophenes are a class of conductive organic molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel method for single-molecule sensing using solvation shells.
  • To investigate the effect of water solvation shells on the conductance of oligothiophene molecular wires.
  • To understand the mechanism behind solvation-induced conductance changes.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication and measurement of oligothiophene molecular wires.
  • Conductance measurements in controlled atmospheric conditions (moist air vs. dry argon).
  • First-principles theoretical calculations using the nonequilibrium Green's function method.

Main Results:

  • The presence of a water solvation shell significantly increases the conductance of oligothiophene molecular wires.
  • The conductance enhancement is dependent on the length of the oligothiophene chain, with longer chains exhibiting a larger effect.
  • For the longest oligothiophene studied, conductance increased by over two orders of magnitude with a shell of just 10 water molecules.
  • Theoretical calculations confirmed direct interaction between water molecules and thiophene rings, shifting transport resonances and increasing conductance.

Conclusions:

  • Solvation shells offer a new pathway for single-molecule sensing.
  • Water molecules act as a "gate" for molecular conductance in oligothiophene wires.
  • The observed effect is reversible and has significant implications for molecular electronics and sensing technologies.