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Anti-Coulomb ion-ion interactions: A theoretical and computational study

Alec Wills1,2,*, Anthony Mannino1,2, Isidro Losada3, Sara G. Mayo3, Jose M. Soler3, and Marivi Fernández-Serra1,2,†

  • *Contact author: alec.wills@stonybrook.edu
  • †Contact author: maria.fernandez-serra@stonybrook.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 6, 033095 – Published 23 July, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.033095

Abstract

The free energy of ion solvation can be decomposed into enthalpic and entropic contributions. This helps one to understand the connection between the dielectric properties and the underlying forces. We present a simple linear-response model of screened charge interactions that provides an alternative understanding of solvation barriers. Moreover, it explains the “anti-Coulomb” interactions (attraction between like-charged ions and repulsion between opposite-charged ions) observed in both simulations and experiments. We show that this is a universal behavior associated to the nonlocal response function of any dielectric or metallic systems.

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Phys. Rev. Research 6, 033095– Published 23 July, 2024
  • Received 4 April 2024
  • Accepted 1 July 2024
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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