As far as  analytical methods become more sophisticated, the existing scientific models are constantly being revised. The last thing to look at is how the molecules are organized on the surface of salt water.

About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean water. The evaporation and formation of heterogeneous aerosols from such electrolyte-rich solutions plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and climate science. Physicochemical processes occurring on the surface of electrolyte solutions are ultimately determined by the molecular structure of such solutions at the air/liquid interface.

Thus, knowledge of the ion distribution and molecular orientation at the air/solution interface is of paramount importance for the development of environmental models and also serves as a starting point for understanding more complex interfaces of liquid solutions in contact with electrodes, membranes or minerals.

The researchers  from the University of Cambridge in the UK and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany found that electrically charged particles, or ions, were not active at the surface of the solution as previously thought - instead they were located in the subsurface layer.

In addition to finding a subsurface layer of ions, the new study also shows that these ions can be oriented both up and down (referring to the actual physical arrangement of the molecules), rather than just in one direction. “At the very top there are several layers of pure water, then a layer rich in ions, and finally a basic salt solution.”

The experiment shows what happens at the boundaries of most simple solutions of liquid electrolytes. Molecular arrangement determines how they will react with what surrounds them.

The researchers suggest that their work not only improves understanding of the world around us, but could also help develop any technology that requires combining solids and liquids, including batteries.

The researches were  published in the journal Nature Chemistry.