nonionic liquid
Quick Summary
Nonionic liquids are substances composed of molecules that do not dissociate into ions. Unlike ionic liquids, they have negligible electrical conductivity. However, they can be polarized by an electric field, developing positive and negative poles and a dipole moment that opposes the field. This polarization can occur through electron displacement within atoms, changes in atomic nuclei positions, or the alignment of molecules with permanent dipole moments. Nonionic surfactants, for example, are detergents that produce electrically neutral colloidal particles in solution. The term "nonionic" itself means not ionic.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
