Structural features of the near-surface layers of highly diluted aqueous solutions

Abstract

Particular importance currently is given to highly diluted aqueous solutions due to the fact that not only the presence of clusters, but also more complex structures – associates, bastons, etc., have been found in them. However, the phenomenon of the appearance of new physicochemical, spectral, diffraction, refractometric and other effects related to heterogeneity in the changing inhomogeneous structure of the surface layers of aqueous solutions is not fully understood. The paper presents the results of vertical laser sensing of drops of hydrophilic substances highly diluted in water, which made it possible to detect clathrate nano-formations in various combinations, the nature of which is still insufficiently clear. We studied droplets of distilled micellar water, hydrogen peroxide, an aqueous solution of glycerol, ethanol, etc. At low concentrations of hydrophilic substances in aqueous solutions their molecules are embedded into the interstices of the water lattice without causing destruction of its structure. It is found that the dissolution mechanism continued only to a certain critical concentration after which “saturation” occurred. A further increase in the content of dissolved substances in aqueous solutions leads to the destruction of the ordered structure, and the excess molecules of the hydrophilic substance, combined together, form complex aggregates or their “islands”.