Ice is selectively intolerant to impurities. A preponderance of implanted anions or cations generates electrical imbalances in ice grown from electrolyte solutions. Since the excess charges are ultimately neutralized via interfacial (H(+)/HO(-)) transport, the acidity of the unfrozen portion can change significantly and permanently. This insufficiently recognized phenomenon should critically af...

The equilibrium properties of electrolyte solutions over wide ranges of concentration, temperature, and solvent dielectric constant are discussed on a corresponding-states basis. If low-melting salts are used, these properties can be studied up to the pure fused salt. We mainly focus on systems at low reduced temperature, where the depth of the interaction potential is large compared with the t...

We have directly observed the structural evolution of colloidal crystals as a function of increasing ionic strength using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Silica colloids were sedimented onto a glass substrate in deionized water to create large, single domain crystals. The solution ionic strength was then increased by one of three methods of controlled electrolyte addition: (1) direct inject...