Water is everywhere ― it seems so common, so ordinary. Why then do chemists consider it such a unique substance? Does the molecular structure provide an explanation for its unusual properties? What happens when other substances dissolve in water?

ODYSSEY Water at the Molecular Level includes about fifty models that illustrate the structure of water and aqueous solutions on the nanometer scale. More than half of the models can be simulated using classical molecular dynamics, thereby allowing for the study of molecular motion. Another subset of models highlights water’s electronic structure by showing polarity maps and molecular orbitals.

Using simple gestures, models can be examined at any orientation and zoom level and with a number of different visualization styles. The all-important hydrogen bonding in aqueous systems can be highlighted wherever applicable. A glossary, comments section, and a set of multiple choice questions are also provided.

From ice to water vapor, from hydronium to methane hydrate, from snowflakes to the water surrounding oxytocin ― this ODYSSEY app conveys molecular-level understanding of the medium of life.