Physicists from the University of Cambridge have discovered that water in a layer of one molecule does not leadyourself in no way
Water with a layer of one molecule is not theoreticalconcept, but a common form, the scientists explain. Such structures can be found between cell membranes or in tiny nanoscale cavities in geological materials. Until now, the behavior of this water has remained a mystery.
In a study published in the journal Nature,the scientists used a combination of computational approaches to provide the study at the level of one layer of water. They found that the water that formed the thin layer went through several phases, including hexatic and superionic phases.
In the hexatic phase, water does not act asa solid body and not as a liquid, but as something in between. The oxygen atoms form a solid lattice, and the protons flow through the lattice like a liquid or children running through a maze. At high pressures, such water passes into the superionic phase. It becomes very conductive, propelling protons rapidly through the ice, similar to the flow of electrons in a conductor.
Understanding the behavior of water at the nanoscale hascrucial for many new technologies, scientists say. For example, the success of the treatment depends on how the water will react when it gets into small cavities in our body. In addition, such phase states can be useful for the development of highly conductive electrolytes for batteries, water desalination, and frictionless transport of liquids.
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