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Download fileAtomic Insight into the Interfacial Effect on the Molecular Solvation
journal contribution
posted on 09.02.2022, 21:17 by Jia Dong, Pu Yang, Chen Zhang, Duanyun Cao, Ying Jiang, Jing GuoThe
solvation of amphiphile molecules plays a crucial role in a
broad range of physical, chemical, and biological processes. Although
we have gained some insights into those processes of bulk solution,
the interfacial effects on the molecular solvation are still poorly
understood. Here, using qPlus-based noncontact atomic force microscopy,
we report the formation of ordered water–methanol clusters
composed of hexamers and pentamers on both Cu(110) and Cu(111) surfaces.
Interestingly, water and methanol are incompletely mixed on the Cu(110)
surface, with methanol residing at the periphery of the water network.
In contrast, the amphiphile methanol could be solvated within the
water hydrogen-bonding network on the Cu(111) surface, resulting in
molecular-scale complete mixing. Density functional theory calculations
indicate that the complete mixing is mainly induced by the more facile
collective adjustment of the hydrogen-bonding network due to the weaker
interaction between the complex and the Cu(111) substrate. This work
provides the possibility of fine-tuning the molecular solvation behavior
by proper interfacial engineering.
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still poorly understoodfacile collective adjustmentamphiphile molecules playsproper interfacial engineeringscale complete mixingamphiphile methanol couldbonding network duemolecular solvation behaviorcomplete mixingbonding networkinterfacial effectsinterfacial effectwork providesweaker interactionwater networkusing qplussolvated withinmolecular solvationmethanol residingmainly inducedincompletely mixedcrucial rolebulk solutionbroad rangeatomic insight