Specific Ion effects in non-aqueous solvents. A test for Hofmeister

Colloid science is central to much modern technological and economic activity despite a fundamental weakness that prevents it from successfully predicting a wide range of phenomena. This weakness includes an inability to explain; the stability of protein solutions, the surface tension of electrolyte solutions, the role of buffer solutions and the self-assembly of surfactants in solution. It is known that the type of ions that make up the electrolyte in solution are very important, but detailed understanding is absent and the role of water is debated. This proposal describes a concerted and novel program to examine salt effect in non-aqueous solvents in order to elucidate the ion specific interactions that are so crucially important.