Water agglomerates on Fe₃O₄(001).

ABSTRACT: Determining the structure of water adsorbed on solid surfaces is a notoriously difficult task and pushes the limits of experimental and theoretical techniques. Here, we follow the evolution of water agglomerates on Fe₃O₄(001); a complex mineral surface relevant in both modern technology and the natural environment. Strong OH-H₂O bonds drive the formation of partially dissociated water dimers at low coverage, but a surface reconstruction restricts the density of such species to one per unit cell. The dimers act as an anchor for further water molecules as the coverage increases, leading first to partially dissociated water trimers, and then to a ring-like, hydrogen-bonded network that covers the entire surface. Unraveling this complexity requires the concerte

SUBMITTER: Meier M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6016784 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature