Issue 35, 2022

Effect of sodium chloride adsorption on the surface premelting of ice

Abstract

We characterise the structural properties of the quasi-liquid layer (QLL) at two low-index ice surfaces in the presence of sodium chloride (Na+/Cl) ions by molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the presence of a high surface density of Na+/Cl pairs changes the surface melting behaviour from step-wise to gradual melting. The ions lead to an overall increase of the thickness and the disorder of the QLL, and to a low-temperature roughening transition of the air–ice interface. The local molecular structure of the QLL is similar to that of liquid water, and the differences between the basal and primary prismatic surface are attenuated by the presence of Na+/Cl pairs. These changes modify the crystal growth rates of different facets and the solvation environment at the surface of sea-water ice with a potential impact on light scattering and environmental chemical reactions.

Graphical abstract: Effect of sodium chloride adsorption on the surface premelting of ice

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Mai 2022
Accepted
19 Aug 2022
First published
20 Aug 2022

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022,24, 20932-20940

Author version available

Effect of sodium chloride adsorption on the surface premelting of ice

M. L. Berrens, F. C. Bononi and D. Donadio, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 20932 DOI: 10.1039/D2CP02277J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements