IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-41436-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Identification of a common ice nucleus on hydrophilic and hydrophobic close-packed metal surfaces

Author

Listed:
  • Pengcheng Chen

    (Princeton University)

  • Qiuhao Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zijing Ding

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qing Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jiyu Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhihai Cheng

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Xiaohui Qiu

    (National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Bingkai Yuan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS))

  • Sheng Meng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Nan Yao

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

Establishing a general model of heterogeneous ice nucleation has long been challenging because of the surface water structures found on different substrates. Identifying common water clusters, regardless of the underlying substrate, is one of the key steps toward solving this problem. Here, we demonstrate the presence of a common water cluster found on both hydrophilic Pt(111) and hydrophobic Cu(111) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy. Water molecules self-assemble into a structure with a central flat-lying hexagon and three fused pentagonal rings, forming a cluster consisting of 15 individual water molecules. This cluster serves as a critical nucleus during ice nucleation on both surfaces: ice growth beyond this cluster bifurcates to form two-dimensional (three-dimensional) layers on hydrophilic (hydrophobic) surfaces. Our results reveal the inherent similarity and distinction at the initial stage of ice growth on hydrophilic and hydrophobic close-packed metal surfaces; thus, these observations provide initial evidence toward a general model for water-substrate interaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Pengcheng Chen & Qiuhao Xu & Zijing Ding & Qing Chen & Jiyu Xu & Zhihai Cheng & Xiaohui Qiu & Bingkai Yuan & Sheng Meng & Nan Yao, 2023. "Identification of a common ice nucleus on hydrophilic and hydrophobic close-packed metal surfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41436-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41436-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41436-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-41436-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jinbo Peng & Jing Guo & Prokop Hapala & Duanyun Cao & Runze Ma & Bowei Cheng & Limei Xu & Martin Ondráček & Pavel Jelínek & Enge Wang & Ying Jiang, 2018. "Weakly perturbative imaging of interfacial water with submolecular resolution by atomic force microscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Runze Ma & Duanyun Cao & Chongqin Zhu & Ye Tian & Jinbo Peng & Jing Guo & Ji Chen & Xin-Zheng Li & Joseph S. Francisco & Xiao Cheng Zeng & Li-Mei Xu & En-Ge Wang & Ying Jiang, 2020. "Atomic imaging of the edge structure and growth of a two-dimensional hexagonal ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 577(7788), pages 60-63, January.
    3. Akitoshi Shiotari & Yoshiaki Sugimoto, 2017. "Ultrahigh-resolution imaging of water networks by atomic force microscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, April.
    4. Ji Chen & Jing Guo & Xiangzhi Meng & Jinbo Peng & Jiming Sheng & Limei Xu & Ying Jiang & Xin-Zheng Li & En-Ge Wang, 2014. "An unconventional bilayer ice structure on a NaCl(001) film," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kuichang Zuo & Xiang Zhang & Xiaochuan Huang & Eliezer F. Oliveira & Hua Guo & Tianshu Zhai & Weipeng Wang & Pedro J. J. Alvarez & Menachem Elimelech & Pulickel M. Ajayan & Jun Lou & Qilin Li, 2022. "Ultrahigh resistance of hexagonal boron nitride to mineral scale formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Ye Tian & Botao Huang & Yizhi Song & Yirui Zhang & Dong Guan & Jiani Hong & Duanyun Cao & Enge Wang & Limei Xu & Yang Shao-Horn & Ying Jiang, 2024. "Effect of ion-specific water structures at metal surfaces on hydrogen production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Bo Lin & Jian Jiang & Xiao Cheng Zeng & Lei Li, 2023. "Temperature-pressure phase diagram of confined monolayer water/ice at first-principles accuracy with a machine-learning force field," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Felix Kohler & Olivier Pierre-Louis & Dag Kristian Dysthe, 2022. "Crystal growth in confinement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Minyoung Lee & Sang Yup Lee & Min-Ho Kang & Tae Kyung Won & Sungsu Kang & Joodeok Kim & Jungwon Park & Dong June Ahn, 2024. "Observing growth and interfacial dynamics of nanocrystalline ice in thin amorphous ice films," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Gang Sun & Hajime Tanaka, 2024. "Surface-induced water crystallisation driven by precursors formed in negative pressure regions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Huiru Liu & Heping Li & Yu He & Peng Cheng & Yi-Qi Zhang & Baojie Feng & Hui Li & Kehui Wu & Lan Chen, 2023. "Condensation and asymmetric amplification of chirality in achiral molecules adsorbed on an achiral surface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41436-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.