Comment on "An explanation for the charge on water's surface" by A. Gray-Weale and J. K. Beattie, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009, 11, 10994.
Gray-Weale and Beattie's rationalization of the negative charge observed on the surface of water in terms of accumulation of OH(-) is based on the supposedly uniquely large dielectric decrement of hydroxide solutions [A. Gray-Weale and J. K. Beattie, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009, 11, 10994]. We challenge this rationalization and point to another ion, namely fluoride, which has a comparable dielectric decrement and size and which is repelled from the surface of water.
Vácha
Robert
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Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Center for Complex Molecular Systems and Biomolecules, Flemingovo nám. 2, 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
Horinek
Dominik
D
Buchner
Richard
R
Winter
Bernd
B
Jungwirth
Pavel
P