Intrinsic reconstruction of ice-I surfaces

Two-dimensional ice-like water adlayers on a mica surface with and without a graphene coating under ambient conditions

Water tends to wet all hydrophilic surfaces under ambient conditions, and the first water adlayers on solids are important for a broad range of physicochemical phenomena and technological processes, including corrosion, wetting, lubrication, anti-icing, catalysis, and electrochemistry. Unfortunately, challenges in characterizing the first water adlayer in the laboratory have hampered molecular-level understanding of the contact water structure. Herein, we present the first ab initio molecular dynamics simulation evidence of a previously unreported ice-like adlayer structure (named as Ice-AL-II) on a prototype mica surface under ambient conditions. Calculation showed that the newly identified Ice-AL-II structure is more stable than the widely recognized ice-adlayer structure on mica surfaces (named as Ice-AL-I). Ice-AL-II exhibited a face-centered corner-cut tetragon (or a face-centered irregular pentagon) pattern of a hydrogen-bonded network. The center of the corner-cut tetragon was occupied by either a K+ cation or a water molecule with two H atoms pinned by the mica (100) via double hydrogen bonds. Our simulation also suggested that bilayer Ice-AL-II favors AA stacking rather than AB stacking. Interestingly, when a graphene sheet was coated on top of the ice-like adlayer, the stability of Ice-AL-II was further enhanced. In contrast, due to its strongly puckered structure, the Ice-AL-I structure could be crushed into a near-Ice-AL-II structure by the graphene coating. Ice-AL-II is thus proposed as a promising candidate for the ice-like structure on a mica surface detected by scanning polarization force microscopy and by atomic force microscopy between a graphene coating and a mica surface.

Imaging surface structure and premelting of ice Ih with atomic resolution

Ice surfaces are closely relevant to many physical and chemical properties, such as melting, freezing, friction, gas uptake and atmospheric reaction1-8. Despite extensive experimental and theoretical investigations9-17, the exact atomic structures of ice interfaces remain elusive owing to the vulnerable hydrogen-bonding network and the complicated premelting process. Here we realize atomic-resolution imaging of the basal (0001) surface structure of hexagonal water ice (ice Ih) by using qPlus-based cryogenic atomic force microscopy with a carbon monoxide-functionalized tip. We find that the crystalline ice-Ih surface consists of mixed Ih- and cubic (Ic)-stacking nanodomains, forming 19 × 19 periodic superstructures. Density functional theory reveals that this reconstructed surface is stabilized over the ideal ice surface mainly by minimizing the electrostatic repulsion between dangling OH bonds. Moreover, we observe that the ice surface gradually becomes disordered with increasing temperature (above 120 Kelvin), indicating the onset of the premelting process. The surface premelting occurs from the defective boundaries between the Ih and Ic domains and can be promoted by the formation of a planar local structure. These results put an end to the longstanding debate on ice surface structures and shed light on the molecular origin of ice premelting, which may lead to a paradigm shift in the understanding of ice physics and chemistry.

Identification of a common ice nucleus on hydrophilic and hydrophobic close-packed metal surfaces

Establishing a general model of heterogeneous ice nucleation has long been challenging because of the surface water structures found on different substrates. Identifying common water clusters, regardless of the underlying substrate, is one of the key steps toward solving this problem. Here, we demonstrate the presence of a common water cluster found on both hydrophilic Pt(111) and hydrophobic Cu(111) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy. Water molecules self-assemble into a structure with a central flat-lying hexagon and three fused pentagonal rings, forming a cluster consisting of 15 individual water molecules. This cluster serves as a critical nucleus during ice nucleation on both surfaces: ice growth beyond this cluster bifurcates to form two-dimensional (three-dimensional) layers on hydrophilic (hydrophobic) surfaces. Our results reveal the inherent similarity and distinction at the initial stage of ice growth on hydrophilic and hydrophobic close-packed metal surfaces; thus, these observations provide initial evidence toward a general model for water-substrate interaction.

Charge Localization Induced by Pentagons on Ge(110)

The Ge(110) surface reconstructs into ordered and disordered phases, in which the basic unit is a five-membered ring of Ge atoms (pentagon). The variety of surface reconstructions leads to a rich electronic density of states with several surface states. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we have identified the exact origins of these surface states and linked them to either the Ge pentagons or the underlying Ge-Ge bonds. We show that even moderate fluctuations in the positions of the Ge pentagonal units induce large variations in the local density of states. The local density of states modulates in a precise manner, following the geometrical constraints on tiling Ge pentagons. These geometry-correlated electronic states offer a vast configurational landscape that could provide new opportunities in data storage and computing applications.

Advances in Atomic Force Microscopy: Imaging of Two- and Three-Dimensional Interfacial Water

Interfacial water is closely related to many core scientific and technological issues, covering a broad range of fields, such as material science, geochemistry, electrochemistry and biology. The understanding of the structure and dynamics of interfacial water is the basis of dealing with a series of issues in science and technology. In recent years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) with ultrahigh resolution has become a very powerful option for the understanding of the complex structural and dynamic properties of interfacial water on solid surfaces. In this perspective, we provide an overview of the application of AFM in the study of two dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D) interfacial water, and present the prospect and challenges of the AFM-related techniques in experiments and simulations, in order to gain a better understanding of the physicochemical properties of interfacial water.