In electrolyte solutions containing alkali-metal cations, the hydrated cations approach to the electrode surface through noncovalent and electrostatic interactions. The cations next to the electrode form a plane parallel to the electrode surface as shown in Figure 1. The plane is called the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP). The microscopic area above the electrode surface including the OHP is named the electrical double layer. In an electrochemical reaction, a reactant must cross the electrical double layer to reach the electrode surface; the structure and physical properties of the electrical double layer are important for fundamental electrochemistry and electrochemical applications such as capacitors and fuel cells. A huge electric field is induced between an electrode surface and the OHP by the localization of ionic species at the OHP, becoming the driving force for a reaction at the electrode. Several models for the electrical double layer were proposed by the pioneers of electrochemistry. [1][2][3][4][5] The Graham and Bockris-Devanathan-Muller (BDM) models are currently accepted for the case where ions are adsorbed specifically on an electrode.[5] Specifically adsorbed ions also form a plane which is called the inner Helmholtz plane (IHP). The BDM model consists of three parts: IHP, OHP, and the diffuse layer. For the molecular orientation of adsorbed water, the modified double layer model is proposed based on vibrational spectroscopy. [6] The specifically adsorbed species at the IHP has been widely studied using scanning probe microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy. In contrast, the microscopic structure of ions in the OHP has not been reported due to the limitation of in situ analytical methods. Recently, Marković et al. reported that the activities for the oxygen reduction and the methanol oxidation reactions depend on the alkali metal cations in the OHP.[7] Activities of the oxygen reduction and the methanol oxidation reactions give the following order on platinum electrodes:They suggested that hydrated Li + and Na + , which interact with adsorbed OH strongly, block the surface active sites for these reactions. Interaction of alkali metal cations with the electrode surface also affects adlayer formation and the structural transition of specifically adsorbed species.[8] Figure 2 shows cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of Ag (100) in CsBr and LiBr. The pair peaks around À0.8 V and the broad peaks at À1.1 V vs Ag/AgCl have been assigned to the order-disorder transition of the adsorbed Br (Br ad ) and the reorientation of surface water, respectively.[9-11] The peak potentials depend on the alkali metal cations significantly. The cations in the OHP, which are not adsorbed on the electrode, definitely affect the electrochemical processes.The nature of the water in the electrical double layer differs from that in the bulk solution. The molecular orientation of adsorbed water depends on the electrode potentials and electrode materials.[12] However, the detailed structural and physical properties of the water above the fi...