Molecular motions and local order in water and aqueous solutions

Abstract We review recent experimental results on stochastic molecular dynamics of water and solute molecules in pure water and aqueous solutions of ZnCl 2 and Cu(NO 3 ) 2 . Reorientational and translational diffusion were studied by neutron and light scattering. The results are discussed highlighting the different dynamical behavior which is observed in strongly associated fluids depending on the time window of the spectroscopic technique used. A connection of the experimental data with percolation models of water is made, and the relevance of these results to biological systems is briefly discussed.