An integral equation theory for inhomogeneous molecular fluids: The reference interaction site model approach

An integral equation theory which is applicable to inhomogeneous molecular liquids is proposed. The "inhomogeneous reference interaction site model (RISM)" equation derived here is a natural extension of the RISM equation to inhomogeneous systems. This theory makes it possible to calculate the pair correlation function between two molecules which are located at different density regions. We also propose approximations concerning the closure relation and the intramolecular susceptibility of inhomogeneous molecular liquids. As a preliminary application of the theory, the hydration structure around an ion is investigated. Lithium, sodium, and potassium cations are chosen as the solute. Using the Percus trick, the local density of solvent around an ion is expressed in terms of the solute-solvent pair correlation function calculated from the RISM theory. We then analyze the hydration structure around an ion through the triplet correlation function which is defined with the inhomogeneous pair correlation function and the local density of the solvent. The results of the triplet correlation functions for cations indicate that the thermal fluctuation of the hydration shell is closely related to the size of the solute ion. The triplet correlation function from the present theory is also compared with that from the Kirkwood superposition approximation, which substitutes the inhomogeneous pair correlation by the homogeneous one. For the lithium ion, the behavior of the triplet correlation functions from the present theory shows marked differences from the one calculated within the Kirkwood approximation. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.