Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Nanoscale water plays a pivotal role in determining the properties and functionalities of materials, and the precise control of its quantity and atomic-scale ordered structure is a focal point in nanotechnology and chemistry. Several studies have theoretically discussed the nano-ordered ice within one- or two-dimensional space and without confinement through hydrogen bonds. In particular, the water cluster has been predicted to play a significant role in biomolecules or functional nanomaterials; however, there has been little experimental evidence for their presence in hydrophobic cavities. In this study, the cubane water octamer - the most stable isomer among small water clusters - was detected within the hydrophobic cavities of UiO-66 metal-organic frameworks, revealing the presence of the smallest ice in their hydrophobic cavity, in the absence of hydrogen bonding. This observation contrasts earlier examples of water clusters confined within nanocavities through hydrogen bonds and provides experimental evidence for water-cluster capturing within hydrophobic cavities. Consequently, our renewed understanding of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity warrants a design re-evaluation of materials for chemical applications, including fuel cells, water harvesting, catalysts, and batteries.
Source: ChemPhysChem
Language: English
Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,330
Award: 機械学習を用いたナノ材料の未知構造決定
OpenAlex ID: W4401867783