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Related Concept Videos

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

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The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
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Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
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Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

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Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
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Adhesion01:14

Adhesion

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Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
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Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

Surface Tension and Surface Energy

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When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
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Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
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Rendering SiO2/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars
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How Does Water Wet a Surface?

Sabine Maier1, Miquel Salmeron2,3

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , 91058 Erlangen, Germany.

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|September 30, 2015
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals water structures on metal surfaces, showing non-ice-like layers and temperature-dependent dissociation. This advances understanding of water

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Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
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Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

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Area of Science:

  • Surface Science
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Water interactions at interfaces are crucial for many processes.
  • Water adsorption on metal surfaces involves a balance between water-water and water-metal interactions.
  • Kinetic effects can lead to metastable states, complicating theoretical predictions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) results on water adsorption and dissociation on close-packed metal surfaces.
  • To focus on the Ru(0001) surface as a model system.
  • To provide insights into water structure and reaction mechanisms at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

  • Direct imaging of water molecules using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ultrahigh vacuum at low temperatures.
  • Interpretation of STM results in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
  • Review of recent experimental findings on water adsorption and dissociation.

Main Results:

  • Water forms hydrogen-bonded layers, not ice-like structures, on close-packed metal surfaces, featuring molecular rings.
  • On Ru(0001), water adsorbs intact in a metastable state at low temperatures and partially dissociates above ~150 K.
  • Water adsorption on Ru(0001) transitions from dissociative to molecular depending on preadsorbed oxygen coverage.

Conclusions:

  • STM provides reliable local structural and reaction information for water on surfaces.
  • The study highlights the complexity of water adsorption and dissociation, influenced by surface interactions and kinetics.
  • Future research can leverage STM for manipulating and probing proton/hydrogen dynamics in water clusters.