Anomalous ion transport in saline solutions under electric fields: A molecular dynamic study.

Abstract

In this study, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the anomalous diffusion of Na^{+} and Cl^{-} ions in water at the microscopic scale. By carefully distinguishing the migration (drift) component from the diffusive motion, we analyze the influence of ion concentration and applied electric fields on ionic transport. Our results reveal clear deviations from classical Brownian dynamics under nonzero electric fields, highlighting the emergence of anomalous diffusion regimes. We further show that the degree of anomalous behavior strongly depends on the ionic chemical activity and the strength of Coulombic interactions between ions.