To study the conjugate base of PA, the pyruvate ion, we investigated the (PA -) 1 (w) 0-5 and (PA -) 1 (Na + ) 1 (Cl -) 0-1 (w) 0-5 cluster systems. Generally, across all clusters in Figure , we observe no proton transfers from water to the PA -monomer. For the (PA -) 1 (w) 0-5 clusters in Figure , we observed a nascent water hydrogen bonding network forming at the carboxylate terminus of PA -analogous to our findings for the (PA) 1 (w) 0-5 clusters above.