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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Published on: May 27, 2018
Water at hydrophobic surfaces: weak hydrogen bonding and strong orientation effects
L F Scatena1, M G Brown, G L Richmond
1Department of Chemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
Abstract:
Vibrational studies that selectively probe molecular structure at CCl4/H2O and hydrocarbon/H2O interfaces show that the hydrogen bonding between adjacent water molecules at these interfaces is weak, in contrast to generally accepted models of water next to fluid hydrophobic surfaces that suggest strong hydrogen bonding. However, interactions between these water molecules and the organic phase result in substantial orientation of these weakly hydrogen-bonded water molecules in the interfacial region. The results have important implications for understanding water adjacent to hydrophobic surfaces and the penetration of water into hydrophobic phases.
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