Home > Press > Scientists probe the limits of ice: Transition between ice and liquid water gets fuzzy at the nanoscale
 |
| The coexistence of ice and liquid water breaks down at the nanoscale. Credit: Wikimedia Commons |
Abstract:
How small is the tiniest possible particle of ice? According to new NSF-funded research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the smallest nanodroplet of water in which ice can form is only as big as 90 water molecules -- a tenth the size of the smallest virus. At those small scales, according to University of Utah chemist and study co-author Valeria Molinero, the transition between ice and water gets a little fuzzy.
Scientists probe the limits of ice: Transition between ice and liquid water gets fuzzy at the nanoscale
Alexandria, VA | Posted on November 9th, 2019That transition is among the most important transformations between phases (solids, liquids and gases) on our planet, where it has unique effects on climate while regulating the viability of life. Understanding the conditions that lead to the formation of ice is an active quest in the environmental and earth sciences, physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
Ice exists on Earth almost exclusively in the highly ordered hexagonal crystal structure known as "ice I." In our atmosphere, small water clusters form and subsequently freeze, seeding larger crystals and eventually clouds. Due to competing thermodynamic effects, however, below a certain diameter these water clusters cannot form stable ice I. The size range of water clusters capable of forming ice I has been investigated for years, with most recent estimates narrowing the range from as low as 90 water molecules to as high as 400.
In the new study, researchers combine recent advances to disentangle the interplay between the constraints that act on the ice-liquid transition in nanometer-sized clusters.
"This research provides fundamental insights into a substance as familiar as water," says Anne-Marie Schmoltner, a program director in NSF's Division of Chemistry. "With sophisticated computer models, we can understand what happens with every single water molecule in a very, very small droplet."
The research was funded through an NSF award supporting the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
NSF Public Affairs, (703) 292-7090
Copyright © National Science Foundation
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
| Related Links |
| Related News Press |
Chemistry
Quantum interference in molecule-surface collisions February 28th, 2025
News and information
Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025
Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025
Quantum engineers ‘squeeze’ laser frequency combs to make more sensitive gas sensors January 17th, 2025
Chainmail-like material could be the future of armor: First 2D mechanically interlocked polymer exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength January 17th, 2025
Possible Futures
Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025
Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025
Discoveries
Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025
Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025
Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance
Chainmail-like material could be the future of armor: First 2D mechanically interlocked polymer exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength January 17th, 2025
Enhancing transverse thermoelectric conversion performance in magnetic materials with tilted structural design: A new approach to developing practical thermoelectric technologies December 13th, 2024
FSU researchers develop new methods to generate and improve magnetism of 2D materials December 13th, 2024
Announcements
Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025
Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Leading the charge to better batteries February 28th, 2025
Quantum interference in molecule-surface collisions February 28th, 2025
New ocelot chip makes strides in quantum computing: Based on "cat qubits," the technology provides a new way to reduce quantum errors February 28th, 2025
Water
Taking salt out of the water equation October 7th, 2022
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||