Applications of Solutions of Ions

The solvation of the ions produced on ionic dissociation of the ionic sources or their direct reaction with the solvent is the key process that leads to the needed sufficient solubility. If the ion of interest is only poorly solvated, then its counter ion in the electrically neutral electrolyte needs to be well solvated, since otherwise the solubility will be too small for practical purposes. This chapter discusses the applications of solutions of ions in electrochemistry, in hydrometallurgy, in separation chemistry, and to chemical reaction rates. It presents the criteria for the choice of the solvent to be used in the electrochemical devices. Ions play important roles in biophysical phenomena and their solvation is decisive in determining their behavior in biological systems. The Hofmeister series, the kosmotropic and chaotropic properties, and the lyotropic numbers are three descriptors of the sequences of ions.