| Availability of highly reactive halogen ions at the surface of aerosols has tremendous implications for the atmospheric chemistry. Yet neither simulations, experiments, nor existing theories are able to provide a fully consistent description of the electrolyte-air interface. In this talk a new theory will be presented which allows us to explicitly calculate the ionic density profiles, the surface tension, and the electrostatic potential difference across the solution-air interface [1,2]. The theory takes into account both ionic hydration and polarizability [3]. The theoretical predictions are compared to experiments and are found to be in excellent agreement. The theory is then extended to study general hydrophobic surfaces [4]. Finally, the implications of the present work for stability of lyophobic colloidal suspensions will be considered [5], shedding new light on one of the oldest puzzles of physical chemistry --- the Hofmeister effect. \\ \noindent [1] Y. Levin, A.P. dos Santos, and A. Diehl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 257802 (2009). \\ \noindent [2] A. P. dos Santos, A. Diehl, and Y. Levin, Langmuir 26, 10778 (2010).\\ \noindent [3] Y. Levin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 147803 (2009). \\ \noindent [4] A. P. dos Santos, and Y. Levin, Langmuir 28, 1304 (2012). \\ \noindent [5] A. P. dos Santos and Yan Levin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 167801 (2011) |
|