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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Published on: May 27, 2018
VUV spectroscopy of water under cellular conditions
R Mota1, R Parafita, M J P Maneira
1Laboratório de Colisões Atómicas e Moleculares, Departamento de Física, CEFITEC, FCT-Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
Abstract:
The understanding of radiation damage within cells, and thence mutagenesis, depends upon a detailed knowledge of the spectroscopy and dissociation dynamics of water. Results of a new study of the electronic state spectroscopy of water, using synchrotron radiation are reported. In order to gain some insight into how the spectroscopy and dissociation dynamics of water is influenced by its environment we also report photo-absorption spectra of water within thin films of poly(o-methoxyaniline) which have been suggested as a good mimic for biological membranes in the cellular environment. Comparison of these spectra with those of gaseous water and condensed amorphous water ice suggest that water in such films is similar to gaseous water and does not show the blue shift suggested in some cellular models. The lowest energy of OH production from dissociation of water in the cellular environment may therefore be around 6.7 eV (185 nm).
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