Anomalous Ion Diffusion in Dense Dipolar Liquids

A self-consistent microscopic theory of the mobility of small ions in ultrafast dipolar liquids (like water and acetonitrile) is presented. The theory takes into account the self-motion of the ion and also the bimodal dynamics of the liquid. It is in excellent agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the theory explains the anomalous increase in diffusion for large ions in water for the first time.