Recent advances in computational and experimental techniques have allowed for accurate description of ion pairing in aqueous solutions. Free energy methods based on ab initio molecular dynamics, as well as on force fields accounting effectively for electronic polarization, can provide quantitative information about the structures and occurrences of individual types of ion pairs. When properly benchmarked against electronic structure calculations for model systems and against structural experiments, in particular neutron scattering, such force field simulations represent a powerful tool for elucidating interactions of salt ions in complex biological aqueous environments.

†Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic

‡Department of Chemistry École Normale Supérieure UMR ENS CNRS UPMC 8640 24 rue Lhomond 75005 Paris France

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