A recently proposed approach to the problem of ion hydration in solutions is extended to water at a charged metallic electrode. Water in the closest proximity of the electrode is compressed due to electrostriction and the dipole moments of H 2 O molecules become completely ordered by extremely strong electric field created by the surface charge. It is estimated that for common values of the charge density of the order of 10 -1 C m -2 the effect of striction corresponds to that of pressures of the order of gigapascals. A consistency between the present approach and recent X-ray measurements of the density of water at a silver electrode is discussed.

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Research that has led to writing the equation of state of an open system containing water in an electric field and to prediction of a related phase transition at the same time as its experimental discovery was announced, is reviewed. X-ray and neutron scattering, dielectric, picosecond photothermal/photoacoustic, thermal and electrochemical measurements contribute to our understanding of these phenomena and are discussed from a unique point of view. New theoretical results are presented and compared with experiment.

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Recent measurements of lysozyme hydration water density under non-denaturing pressure show that it is higher than that of bulk water in the same conditions. High protein hydration layer density has earlier been observed at ambient conditions and ascribed to electrostriction. We calculate the pressure-induced protein mean surface charge density increment Δσ. Within the hydration layer, the higher fields due to Δσ lead to an additional water compression via electrostriction. The increment Δσ is considered as due to a mechanoelectric effect in protein molecules. The mean value of the effective mechanoelectric coefficient d is calculated and compared with piezoelectric coefficients of amino acids and their compounds.

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