DIELECTRIC PERMITTIVITY AND RELAXATION OF ELECTROLYTE-SOLUTIONS AND THEIR SOLVENTS

This article concerns the application of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy to solution chemistry. After an introduction to the basic principles linking permittivity spectra to response functions and their relaxation times, a survey is given of experimental techniques and the problems peculiar to the investigation of liquids and solutions. Typical results of dielectric relaxation studies on electrolyte solutions and their solvents are presented, giving information about the competition between solvent-solvent and solvent-solute interactions. Effective solvation numbers can be compared to results from other methods. A solute relaxation process is typical for the formation of ion pairs and yields information on the species formed and on the rate constants of ion association.