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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Microhoneycomb Monoliths Prepared by the Unidirectional Freeze-drying of Cellulose Nanofiber Based Sols: Method and Extensions
Published on: May 24, 2018
Endohedral clusterization of ten water molecules into a "molecular ice"within the hydrophobic pocket of a
Michito Yoshizawa1, Takahiro Kusukawa, Masaki Kawano
1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo and CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
Abstract:
An adamantanoid (H2O)10 cluster is formed within the hydrophobic cavity of a self-assembled coordination cage. This cluster is termed "molecular ice" because it is the smallest unit of naturally occurring Ic-type ice. X-ray structural analysis, coupled with neutron diffraction study, reveals that the molecular ice is formed not by a simple space-filling effect but by efficient molecular recognition within the cage via H2O:...pi interaction.
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