(364a) Controlling the Properties of Molecular Electrolytes

The physical properties of molecular electrolytes are essential for biological function and of great interest to industry. They have been particularly difficult to describe theoretically and computationally given the presence of composition and dielectric heterogeneities and the large number of disparate length scales involved in determining their physical properties. The Debye length, the Bjerrum length, the ion size, the molecular configuration, and the charge distribution along the molecules determine their structure and their response to external stimuli. Computational, numerical and theoretical approaches to describe electrolytes will be described and a conceptual understanding of how charge dictates nano-scale structure and function will be provided.