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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
16:24
Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Colligative properties of anomalous water
D H Everett1, J M Haynes, P J McElroy
1Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS.
Nature
|June 13, 1970
Summary
Anomalous water is not a new polymer of water, but rather a solution of involatile material in normal water. When silica is present, its properties match those of a silicic acid gel.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Anomalous water, also known as polywater, was a controversial topic in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Initial claims suggested it was a polymeric form of water with unique properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phase behavior and properties of anomalous water.
- To determine the composition and nature of anomalous water.
- To ascertain whether a new polymer of water exists.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of phase behavior during freezing and melting.
- Characterization of other physical and chemical properties.
- Comparison of properties with known substances like silicic acid gels.
Main Results:
- Anomalous water is a solution of normal water containing a fixed amount of involatile solute.
- The existence of a new polymer of water is not supported by the findings.
- When silica is the involatile component, the properties align with those of a silicic acid gel.
Conclusions:
- The anomalous properties of 'anomalous water' can be explained by the presence of dissolved impurities.
- There is no evidence for the formation of a polymeric water structure.
- Silicic acid gel provides a consistent model for systems containing water and silica.
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