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  • RESEARCH BRIEFINGS

Helium droplets help to visualize the start of ion solvation

The number of helium atoms that gradually bind to a single sodium ion at the surface of a liquid helium nanodroplet has been measured as a function of time, as has the amount of energy that dissipates during this process. These findings provide a much-needed glimpse of the early steps of ion solvation.

This is a summary of: Albrechtsen, S. H. et al. Observing the primary steps of ion solvation in helium droplets. Nature 623, 319–323 (2023).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02950-6

‘Expert opinion’ is published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

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