Chapter 5
Electrodynamics of Aqueous Media
Abstract In the real world water and ice always have boundaries, being confined
by the solid or liquid materials, representing the sample in contact with a gas, vacuum, another liquid, or serving as a solvent of electrolyte solution. Interestingly, the
properties of such “finite” water, ice, or aqueous media, can differ from those for the
theoretical boundless water. In this chapter, we discuss the electrical properties of
aqueous electrolytes, the electrodynamics of confined water, the effect of a strong
electric field on water viscosity, and the electrification of water droplets, and other
systems where the role of boundaries on the properties of water is important, in an
external electric field. The questions regarding the role of water in atmospheric phenomena, and the future of the aqueous electrochemical energy systems (fuel cells,
supercapacitors, flow batteries, electrolyzers) are discussed.
5.1 The Dielectric Response of Electrolyte Solutions
5.1.1 Why Electrolytes Conduct Electricity
Pure water has been shown to have very low DC conductivity σ dc = 5.5×10
−8 S/cm .
1
However, a small amount of impurities increases σ dc dramatically, whose value can
reach up to 1 S/cm, that is, seven orders of magnitude larger than for pure water.
What is the mechanism of such a significant change of the electrodynamic properties
of water? Many brilliant scientists have been involved in discussions on why and
how aqueous electrolytes (dielectrics by nature) conduct electricity. The most crucial
debates on this topic took place in the second half of the nineteenth century. Note that
at the time, impedance analyzers were relatively new devices and had significantly
lower sensitivity, accuracy, and maximal frequency of operation in comparison with
what is available now. Figure 5.1 shows the setup used by Kohlrausch for the first
systematic studies of aqueous electrolytes. The alternating current from the sineinduction machine allowed him to prevent the deposition of electrolysis products and
1 It was noted long ago that 1 mm of water at 0 ◦ C has the same resistance as 40 million km of
copper of the same cross section [1].
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
V. Artemov, The Electrodynamics of Water and Ice, Springer Series
in Chemical Physics 124, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72424-5_5
171
Electrodynamics of Aqueous Media
Abstract In the real world water and ice always have boundaries, being confined
by the solid or liquid materials, representing the sample in contact with a gas, vacuum, another liquid, or serving as a solvent of electrolyte solution. Interestingly, the
properties of such “finite” water, ice, or aqueous media, can differ from those for the
theoretical boundless water. In this chapter, we discuss the electrical properties of
aqueous electrolytes, the electrodynamics of confined water, the effect of a strong
electric field on water viscosity, and the electrification of water droplets, and other
systems where the role of boundaries on the properties of water is important, in an
external electric field. The questions regarding the role of water in atmospheric phenomena, and the future of the aqueous electrochemical energy systems (fuel cells,
supercapacitors, flow batteries, electrolyzers) are discussed.
5.1 The Dielectric Response of Electrolyte Solutions
5.1.1 Why Electrolytes Conduct Electricity
Pure water has been shown to have very low DC conductivity σ dc = 5.5×10
−8 S/cm .
1
However, a small amount of impurities increases σ dc dramatically, whose value can
reach up to 1 S/cm, that is, seven orders of magnitude larger than for pure water.
What is the mechanism of such a significant change of the electrodynamic properties
of water? Many brilliant scientists have been involved in discussions on why and
how aqueous electrolytes (dielectrics by nature) conduct electricity. The most crucial
debates on this topic took place in the second half of the nineteenth century. Note that
at the time, impedance analyzers were relatively new devices and had significantly
lower sensitivity, accuracy, and maximal frequency of operation in comparison with
what is available now. Figure 5.1 shows the setup used by Kohlrausch for the first
systematic studies of aqueous electrolytes. The alternating current from the sineinduction machine allowed him to prevent the deposition of electrolysis products and
1 It was noted long ago that 1 mm of water at 0 ◦ C has the same resistance as 40 million km of
copper of the same cross section [1].
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
V. Artemov, The Electrodynamics of Water and Ice, Springer Series
in Chemical Physics 124, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72424-5_5
171