Electro-Freezing of Supercooled Water Is Induced by Hydrated Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺ Ions: Experimental and Theoretical Studies.

ABSTRACT: This work reports that the octahedral hydrated Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions operate within electrolytic cells as kosmotropic (long-range order-making) "ice makers" of supercooled water (SCW). 10^-5 M solutions of hydrated Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions each trigger, near the cathode (-20 ± 5 V), electro-freezing of SCW at -4 °C. The hydrated Al³⁺ ions do so with 100% efficiency, whereas the Mg²⁺ ions induce icing with 40% efficiency. In contrast, hydrated Na⁺ ions, under the same experimental conditions, do not induce icing differently than pure water. As such, our study shows that the role played by Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions in water electro-freezing is impacted by two synchronous effects: (1) a geometric effe

SUBMITTER: Fuhrman Javitt L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10472506 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature