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Multi-Scale Water Modulation for Regulating Water Reactivity and Suppressing Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI)
Shuyan Zhang1, Huiping Li1, Hao Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 8, 2026
Summary
This study shows how to control water's properties to protect nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) from corrosion. Modifying water states and structure effectively stabilizes these sensitive nanoparticles.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Water is an active participant in redox reactions, not just a solvent.
- The reactivity of water can be modulated by altering its molecular states and dynamics.
- Corrosion of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) is a challenge in aqueous applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a multi-scale water modulation strategy to suppress nZVI corrosion.
- To investigate the relationship between water molecular states and nZVI reactivity.
- To provide a framework for stabilizing corrosion-sensitive nanoparticles.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a hydrophilic polysaccharide network to reorganize the aqueous environment.
- Analyzed changes in water states (free, bound, intermediate water) using molecular dynamics.
- Investigated nanoscale confinement effects and macroscopic viscoelastic properties of the modulated water.
- Measured reaction rate constants and correlated them with water fractions.
Main Results:
- Polysaccharides shifted water states, increasing the reaction barrier for H2O-Fe(0) interactions.
- Observed a strong linear dependence of reaction rate on bound and intermediate water fractions (R² ≈ 0.99).
- Hydrophilic confinement and viscoelastic matrix formation effectively suppressed nZVI corrosion at different timescales.
Conclusions:
- Water modulation is a viable strategy to stabilize corrosion-sensitive nanoparticles like nZVI.
- Linking molecular water organization to macroscopic redox behavior offers new avenues for material stabilization.
- The developed strategy provides interfacial shielding and suppresses prolonged reactions by retaining H2 microdomains.
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