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A Microfluidic Approach for the Study of Ice and Clathrate Hydrate Crystallization
Published on: August 18, 2022
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Temperature-Dependent Liquid Water Structure for Individual Micron-Sized, Supercooled Aqueous Droplets with
Liora E Mael1, Gordon Peiker1, Heidi L Busse1
1Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|December 20, 2021
Summary
Researchers studied water structure in individual droplets, including salt and biologically relevant water, as temperature changed. They found that hydrogen bonding in water shifts with cooling until ice forms, determining thermodynamic parameters for these changes.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Understanding water's hydrogen-bonding network is crucial for various scientific disciplines.
- Atmospheric aerosols significantly influence climate and environmental processes.
- The behavior of water in confined, supercooled states is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temperature-dependent structural changes in individual micron-sized water droplets.
- To analyze the equilibrium of partially and fully hydrogen-bonded water (PHW ⇄ FHW) in different droplet compositions.
- To determine the thermodynamic parameters governing water structure transitions in supercooled droplets.
Main Methods:
- Formation of individual micron-sized droplets on a hydrophobic substrate.
- Analysis using micro-Raman spectroscopy.
- Spectroscopic analysis focused on the O-H stretching region.
Main Results:
- Observed changes in the equilibrium of partially and fully hydrogen-bonded water (PHW ⇄ FHW) as temperature decreased.
- Identified a distinct shift in water structure preceding ice phase transition.
- Quantified thermodynamic parameters for the PHW ⇄ FHW interchange in supercooled water, salt water, and droplets with atmospheric inclusions.
Conclusions:
- The hydrogen-bonding dynamics of water are sensitive to temperature and composition.
- Supercooled water exhibits significant structural rearrangements before freezing.
- Thermodynamic parameters provide insights into water's behavior in atmospheric and biological contexts.
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