A SIMPLE INTERPRETATION OF POLAR SOLVATION DYNAMICS

In this letter we describe an approximate relationship between the solvation response to changes in solute charge, C(V)(t), and the reorientational dynamics of molecules in the pure solvent, C(l)(t). Computer simulations show that the function {C(l)(t)}alpha(s), where alpha(s) is the solvent dipole density, provides a good approximation to C(V)(t) in a wide variety of systems. This result leads to a simple and intuitive interpretation of the solvation response in terms of molecular motions.