Geometry Controls Confined Water Dynamics in Lipidic Mesophases
Sara Catalini1,2,3, Matteo Rutsch1, Andrea Lapini3,4
1Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|January 10, 2026
Summary
Geometry dictates water behavior in nanoscale confinement. Curved interfaces promote faster water reorientation, while planar ones slow it down, offering design rules for materials science.
Area of Science:
- Soft matter physics
- Physical chemistry
- Biophysics
Background:
- Water behavior under nanoscale confinement is crucial for biological processes, catalysis, and soft materials.
- Understanding how geometric factors influence water structure and dynamics is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a direct link between interfacial curvature and confined water behavior.
- To elucidate the geometric principles governing water dynamics in soft nanoconfinement.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an archaeal-inspired phytantriol-water lipidic mesophase platform.
- Systematically tuned interfacial curvature across lamellar, double-gyroid cubic, and reverse micellar phases.
- Integrated structural, thermodynamic, and ultrafast spectroscopies.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that geometry controls the dimensionality and mobility of the hydrogen-bond network.
- Planar interfaces lead to 2D networks, slowing down interfacial water dynamics.
- Curved bicontinuous and micellar topologies promote 3D networks with accelerated water reorientation.
Conclusions:
- Revealed a geometric principle for governing water dynamics in soft nanoconfinement.
- Provided molecular-level design rules for confined transport and reactivity in membranes and functional materials.
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