A Solvation shell is a shell of any chemical species acting as a solvent, surrounding a solute species. When the solvent is water it is often referred to as a hydration shell or hydration sphere.
A classic example is water molecules solvating a metal ion. The electronegative oxygen atom contained in the water molecule attracts electrostatically to the positive charge on the metal ion. The result is a 'solvation shell' of water molecules surrounding the ion. This shell can be several molecules thick, dependent on the charge of the ion.
Read more about Solvation Shell: Hydration Shells of Proteins
Famous quotes containing the word shell:
“If there was one egg in it there were nine,
Torpedo-like, with shell of gritty leather,
All packed in sand to wait the trump together.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)