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Energy density and structure stability are of key concerns in devising energy materials such as CNHO molecular crystals and the emerging cyclo-N 5 − complexes for desired explosive functionalities with a mechanism being open for exploration. An extension of the recent progress in solvation suggests that a combination of the intermolecular hydrogen bond (X:H–Y or HB with ':' being electron lone pair of X, Y = O or N) tension and the super-HB (X:⇔:Y) or anti-HB (H↔H) compression not only stabilizes the structure but also stores excessive energy by shortening the intramolecular bonds. The presence of the X:H constrains and the presence of the X:⇔:Y and/or H↔H fosters the explosion. Observations suggest that the absence of X:H–Y tension results in the spontaneous aquatic explosion of alkali metals and molten alkali halides. The lack of X:⇔:Y repulsion fosters no explosion of the molten NaCl in liquid NH 3 , nor the molten Na 2 CO 3 salt or H 3 BO 3 acid in water. The findings shall offer guidelines for devising efficient energy materials and reconciling the nature origin of water ice, aqueous solutions, and explosive energy materials – significance of electron lone pairs and protons. The combination of the hydrogen-bond (X:H–Y) tension and the super-HB (X:⇔:Y) or the anti-HB (H↔H) repulsion not only stabilizes the structure but also stores energy by shortening the intramolecular covalent bonds. The X:H tension constrains and the X:⇔:Y repulsion fosters explosion. Unlabelled Image • Segmental cooperativity of the X:H-Y oscillator pair dictates the behavior of aqueous solutions. • Excessive H+ or lone pairs ":" derive H↔H or X:⇔:Y repulsion in molecular crystals/liquids. • X:⇔:Y or/and H↔H repulsion and X:H-Y tension governs the stability and energy of crystals. • The absence/presence of the X:H-Y tension fosters the spontaneous/constrained explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ion forms a supersolid hydration cell by screened polarization of H 2 O dipoles. • Ionic polarization shortens and stiffens the H-O while does the O:H contrastingly. • A cation keeps its hydration volume invariant without being interfered by others. • Inter-anion repulsion reduces anionic hydration volume by weakening its field. • Cation/anion polarizability governs the linear/nonlinear term of Jones-Dale viscosity. Understanding the performance of individual ions in salt solutions and the consequence of ionic hydration on hydrogen bonding network distortion, surface stress, and solution viscosity remains great challenge. We show herein findings pertained to alkali halide YX solutions using differential phonon spectroscopy (X = Cl, Br, I; Y = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs): (i) an ion occupies eccentrically the tetrahedrally-coordinated interstitial of water to form a (±:4H 2 O:6H 2 O) hydration cell without bonding to H 2 O molecules; (ii) ionic polarization shortens and stiffens the H-O bond while does the O:H nonbond contrastingly; (iii) the screening of the hydrating water dipoles limits the cation hydration cell to be size invariant while the inter-anion repulsion reduces its hydration volume by weakening the anionic long-range electric field when the ionic separation shrinks; and (iv) the polarization of cation and anion dictates respectively the linear and the nonlinear part of Jones-Dale's viscosity and surface stress. Findings would provide profound impact to the understanding and deep engineering of water, ice, and aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]