Solvation

A sodium ion solvated by water molecules

Solvation, commonly called dissolution, is the process of attraction and association of molecules of a solvent with molecules or ions of a solute. If the molecules or ions of the solute are more strongly attracted to the molecules of the solvent than to each other, solvation can occur.

The solvation is the action of dissolving the mix to form the solution.

Solvation Media

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  Nile red at daylight (top row) and UV-light (second row) in different solvents. From left to right: 1. Water, 2. Methanol, 3. Ethanol, 4. Acetonitrile, 5. Dimethylformamide, 6. Acetone, 7. Ethylacetate, 8. Dichlormethane 9. n-Hexane, 10. Methyl-tert-Butylether, 11. Cyclohexane, 12. Toluene. Photographer: Armin Kübelbeck, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons

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  Solvation of a solute by solvent

Related pages

• Solubility
• Solution

More reading

• Dogonadze, Revaz R. (1985). The Chemical Physics of Solvation. Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 0-444-42551-9 (part A), ISBN 0-444-42674-4 (part B), ISBN 0-444-42984-0 (part C)