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Boise State University

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Water

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Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Coil-To-Bridge Transitions Of Self-Assembled Water Chains Observed In A Nanoscopic Meniscus, Byung I. Kim, Ryan D. Boehm, Harrison Agrusa Apr 2022

Coil-To-Bridge Transitions Of Self-Assembled Water Chains Observed In A Nanoscopic Meniscus, Byung I. Kim, Ryan D. Boehm, Harrison Agrusa

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ten downward portions in the large oscillatory force–distance curve reported earlier are analyzed to understand a nanoscale water meniscus confined between a sharp probe and a flat substrate in air. The sigmoidal shape of each portion leads to the assumption that the meniscus is made up of n independent transitions of two states: one for a coil state and the other for a bridge state. The analysis reveals that each downward portion occurs due to a coil-to-bridge transition of n self-assembled water chains whose length ranges between 197 and 383 chain units. The transition provides novel insights into water’s unique …


Direct Observation Of Self-Assembled Chain-Like Water Structures In A Nanoscopic Water Meniscus, Byung I. Kim, Ryan D. Boehm, Jeremy R. Bonander Aug 2013

Direct Observation Of Self-Assembled Chain-Like Water Structures In A Nanoscopic Water Meniscus, Byung I. Kim, Ryan D. Boehm, Jeremy R. Bonander

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sawtooth-like oscillatory forces generated by water molecules confined between two oxidized silicon surfaces were observed using a cantilever-based optical interfacial force microscope when the two surfaces approached each other in ambient environments. The humidity-dependent oscillatory amplitude and periodicity were 3-12 nN and 3-4 water diameters, respectively. Half of each period was matched with a freely jointed chain model, possibly suggesting that the confined water behaved like a bundle of water chains. The analysis also indicated that water molecules self-assembled to form chain-like structures in a nanoscopic meniscus between two hydrophilic surfaces in air. From the friction force data measured simultaneously, …