A facet of recent ice sciences

Of prime interest in the numerous studies on water, an important substance to mankind and all other living systems, may be its chemical, physical, biological or geological characteristics but underlying all these is a basic structural problem. One of the important questions that still remains unanswered in this field is: why ordinary ice keep its proton-disordered state down to the lowest temperature. We found that the slowing down of water re-orientational motion at low temperatures leads to freezing of the disordered state in the ice crystal at around 110 K. This was the origin of the deviation of the crystal from the third law of thermodynamics. Doping by a particular kind of impurity recovered the mobility of the molecule to exhibit a long-awaited ordering transition at 72 K. The dopant dramatically accelerated the motion of water molecules to change the crystal from a non-equilibrium frozen-in disordered state to the equilibrium one within our experimental time. New steps in ice sciences and procedures used in these experiments are reviewed briefly. The structure and some properties of the low-temperature ordered phase, designated as ice XI, are described.     

A study of anisotropic water self-diffusion and defects in the lamellar mesophase

The correlation of molecular diffusion coefficients obtained via a novel two-dimensional pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR method has been shown to reveal detailed structural information on the mesophases of lyotropic liquid crystals. A four-component system containing both nonionic (pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether) and ionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate) surfactants, water, and decane was prepared and left to equilibrate. In the temperature region around 309 K, a lamellar mesophase forms. A two-dimensional Laplace inverse transformation was performed on the (gammadeltag)2(delta - delta/3) domain data to separate any multiexponential behavior that resulted from local anisotropy. The results of the double PGSE experiment with contiguous gradient pulse pairs, applied both collinearly and orthogonally, clearly show the presence of local anisotropic self-diffusion of the water molecules and suggest a preferred orientation of the lamellae. Information about defects/domain size was obtained by the insertion of a mixing time (t(m)') between the successive gradient pulse pairs. This work highlights the value of this new NMR correlation method in the study of surfactant systems.     

Simulation of self-diffusion on silicon surface using stillinger-weber potential

The self-diffusion of tetrahedrally bonded materials on different surfaces, (100), (110) and (111) is studied by means of molecular dynamics simulation. We use the Stillinger-Weber three-body potential as the only interaction between atoms. The results are compared with experimental measurements and other simulations studies. They indicate that the Stillinger-Weber potential may have to be modified near the surface. Our results indicate that dimer diffusion in silicon may be comparable to single-adatom diffusion.     

Dynamically corrected transition state theory calculations of self-diffusion in anisotropic nanoporous materials

We apply the dynamically corrected transition state theory to confinements with complex structures. This method is able to compute self-diffusion coefficients for adsorbate-adsorbent systems far beyond the time scales accessible to molecular dynamics. Two example cage/window-type confinements are examined: ethane in ERI- and CHA-type zeolites. In ERI-type zeolites, each hop in the z direction is preceded by a hop in xy direction and diffusion is anisotropic. The lattice for CHA-type zeolite is a rhombohedral Bravais lattice, and diffusion can be considered isotropic in practice. The anisotropic behavior of ERI-type cages reverses with loading, i.e., at low loading the diffusion in the z direction is two times faster than in the xy direction, while for higher loadings this changes to a z diffusivity that is more than two times slower. At low loading the diffusion is impeded by the eight-ring windows, i.e., the exits out of the cage to the next, but at higher loadings the barrier is formed by the center of the cages.     

Molecular dynamics study of the interactions of ice inhibitors on the ice {001} surface

The interactions of antifreeze protein (AFP) type I, antifreeze glycoproteins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and various amino acids with ice are investigated using Cerius2, a molecular modelling tool. Binding energies of these additives to a major ice crystal face {001} are computed. Binding energy comparison of threonine molecules (by themselves) and as threonine residues within AFP type I demonstrate their role in improving AFP's binding ability to the ice crystal face. The shifts in onset points of ice crystallization with AFP type I, PVP, and amino acids are measured using differential scanning calorimetry. These values when correlated with their respective binding energies reveal a direct proportionality and demonstrate AFP's effectiveness in inhibiting growth and nucleation of ice, over amino acids.     

Sum-frequency generation: polarization surface spectroscopy analysis of the vibrational surface modes on the basal face of ice I(h)

In recent years, sum-frequency generation (SFG) has been used to investigate numerous interfaces including aqueous interfaces. A longstanding challenge to interpretation of the SFG results, along with the related aqueous-solution infrared and Raman spectra, is a lack of connection between features in the broad hydrogen-bonded region and molecular-level interactions or configurations. This paper reports results of a newly developed polarization analysis of the generated sum-frequency signal as a function of wavelength both to deconvolute spectral resonances and to characterize the dynamic polarization associated with the resonances. Operationally, the polarization angle of the generated sum frequency is determined by identifying the null angle. The technique is hence termed polarization-angle null analysis or PAN. PAN applied to ice is very powerful; it reveals that the hydrogen-bonded region of the basal face of ice I(h) contains at least five oscillators, each with a distinct polarization. The dynamic polarizability of the longest wavelength oscillator is nearly entirely transverse (perpendicular to the surface normal, i.e., in the surface plane); in contrast, the shortest wavelength oscillator is almost entirely longitudinal (along the surface normal).     

Comparative molecular dynamics study of vapor-exposed basal, prismatic, and pyramidal surfaces of ice

We present the results of molecular dynamics simulations in which ice I(h) slabs with free basal, prismatic, 28° pyramidal, and 14° pyramidal facets are exposed to vapor. All simulations were carried out at 250 K using a six-site intermolecular potential. Characteristics common to all facets include spontaneous development of a quasi-liquid layer (QLL) within ～10 ns and QLL stratification into outer (ε(1)) and inner (ε(2)) sublayers having on average two and three hydrogen bonds, respectively. Vapor pressure, based on the rate of escape of molecules from the QLL to the vapor phase, is found to be greatest for the 14° pyramidal and basal facets (～230 Pa), while significantly lower values are obtained for the prismatic and 28° pyramidal facets (～200 Pa). The geometric thickness of the QLL also varies between facets, with the 14° pyramidal having the greatest thickness. The free prismatic and pyramidal facets exhibit significant anisotropic diffusivity, in-plane motion being faster in the trans-prismatic direction than in the basal-to-basal direction. The in-plane diffusion length is greatest for the 28° pyramidal facet and smallest for the prismatic facet. This diversity of facet-specific properties provides a rich set of possibilities for mechanisms of ice crystal growth and ablation.     

Hydrogen bonding in the hexagonal ice surface

A recently developed technique in sum frequency generation spectroscopy, polarization angle null (or PAN-SFG), is applied to two orientations of the prism face of hexagonal ice. It is found that the vibrational modes of the surface are similar in different faces. As in the basal face, the prism face of ice contains five dominant resonances: 3096, 3146, 3205, 3253, and 3386 cm(-1). On the basal face, the reddest resonance occurs at 3098 cm(-1); within the bandwidth, the same as the prism face. On both the prism and basal faces, this mode contains a significant quadrupole component and is assigned to the bilayer stitching hydrogen bonds. The bluest of the resonances, 3386 cm(-1), occurs slightly blue-shifted at 3393 cm(-1) in the basal face. The prism face has two orientations: one with the optic or c axis in the input plane (the plane formed by the surface normal and the interrogating beam propagation) and one with the c axis perpendicular to the input plane. The 3386 cm(-1) mode has significant intensity only with the c axis in the input plane. On the basis of these orientation characteristics, the 3386 cm(-1) mode is assigned to double-donor molecules in either the top half bilayer or in the lower half bilayer. On the basis of frequency considerations, it is assigned to double-donor molecules in the top half bilayer. These are water molecules containing a nonbonded lone pair. In addition to identification of the components of the broad hydrogen-bonded region, PAN-SFG measures the tangential vs longitudinal content of the vibrational modes. In accord with previous suggestions, the lower frequency modes are predominantly tangential, whereas the higher frequency modes are mainly longitudinal. On the prism face, the 3386 cm(-1) mode is entirely longitudinal.     

Interactions of oxalic acid and ice on Cu surface

The interactions between oxalic acid (C 2H 2O 4) and H 2O on a polycrystalline Cu surface have been investigated by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) methods. The desorption of H 2O and C 2H 2O 4 was studied; we found that the ice desorption temperature increases with the ice-film thickness. Desorption of the C 2H 2O 4 layer involves a structural modification and sublimation. The H 2O/C 2H 2O 4 and C 2H 2O 4/H 2O interfaces and the codeposited C 2H 2O 4+H 2O were prepared on the Cu surface by varying deposition sequences of gaseous C 2H 2O 4 and H 2O at 155 K. We found that the interaction between ice and C 2H 2O 4 does not lead to the H 2O-induced deprotonation of C 2H 2O 4 in a temperature range 155-283 K. However, H-bonding interactions between H 2O and C 2H 2O 4 can lead to the formation of a metastable oxalic acid-ice complex in the C 2H 2O 4/H 2O and C 2H 2O 4+H 2O systems during the TPD process. Desorption of H 2O from the C 2H 2O 4/H 2O/Cu system is suggested to involve the diffusion of H 2O through the top C 2H 2O 4 layer. H 2O desorption is followed by a rearrangement of C 2H 2O 4 to form a C 2H 2O 4 adlayer on Cu in the C 2H 2O 4+H 2O system. These experimental findings suggest that C 2H 2O 4 is not ionized on snow and ice in the polar boundary layer and at upper tropospheric temperatures ( approximately 240 K).     

Molecular-dynamics studies of surface of ice Ih

We performed molecular dynamics calculations of surface of ice Ih in order to investigate formation mechanism of melting layer on the surface. The results showed that the vibrational amplitude of the atoms in the surface layer greatly depends on the crystal orientation, whereas that in the ice bulk is isotropic. The anisotropy of the vibration is due to a dangling motion of the free O-H bonds exist at the surface layer. The dangling motion enhances the rotational motion of the water molecules. The vibrational density of state showed a coupling between the rotational vibration and the lattice vibration of the water molecules in the surface layer. The coupling of the vibrations causes a distortion of ice lattice. Through the hydrogen-bonding network, the distortion transmits to the interior of the crystal. We conclude that the dangling motion of the free O-H bonds exist at the surface layer is one of the dominant factors governing the surface melting of ice crystal.     

Vertical diffusion of water molecules near the surface of ice

We studied diffusion of water molecules in the direction perpendicular to the surface of an ice film. Amorphous ice films of H(2)O were deposited on Ru(0001) at temperature of 100-140 K for thickness of 1-5 bilayer (BL) in vacuum, and a fractional coverage of D(2)O was added onto the surface. Vertical migration of surface D(2)O molecules to the underlying H(2)O multilayer and the reverse migration of H(2)O resulted in change of their surface concentrations. Temporal variation of the H(2)O and D(2)O surface concentrations was monitored by the technique of Cs(+) reactive ion scattering to reveal kinetics of the vertical diffusion in depth resolution of 1 BL. The first-order rate coefficient for the migration of surface water molecules ranged from k(1)=5.7(+/-0.6) x 10(-4) s(-1) at T=100 K to k(1)=6.7(+/-2.0) x 10(-2) s(-1) at 140 K, with an activation energy of 13.7+/-1.7 kJ mol(-1). The equivalent surface diffusion coefficients were D(s)=7 x 10(-19) cm(2) s(-1) at 100 K and D(s)=8 x 10(-17) cm(2) s(-1) at 140 K. The measured activation energy was close to interstitial migration energy (15 kJ mol(-1)) and was much lower than diffusion activation energy in bulk ice (52-70 kJ mol(-1)). The result suggested that water molecules diffused via the interstitial mechanism near the surface where defect concentrations were very high.     

Estimating the Parameters of the Arrhenius Equation

Estimation of the parameters of the Arrhenius equation often leads to multicollinearity, or, in other words, a degenerate set of equations in the least-squares procedure. This circumstance makes it difficult to estimate the unknown parameters. Simple expedients for model modification are suggested that reduce multicollinearity, thus allowing the parameters to be determined. Simulated and real examples are considered.__________Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 46, No. 3, 2005, pp. 329–332.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Rodionova, Pomerantsev.     

Stability of two-dimensional tessellation ice on the hydroxylated beta-cristobalite (100) surface

Monolayer adsorbed water on the beta-cristobalite (100) surface is studied via classical molecular dynamics simulations. The ordered two-dimensional (2D) tessellation ice structure (i.e., the four-membered and the eight-membered rings appear alternatively) is justified at low temperatures in the simulations. The stability of this possible new ice phase is further investigated by heating the system from 5 to 300 K. An order-disorder structural transition is observed between 100 and 200 K, featuring the melting process of the tessellation ice. This process is characterized by the water oxygen-oxygen radial distribution function, the coordination number, the distance vector between the center of mass of the oxygen and the hydrogen atoms in water, the mean square displacement of oxygen in water, and the vibrational density of state. The above techniques show consistency on that the order-disorder transition temperature of the 2D tessellation ice is far below 300 K. The 2D tessellation ice structure is also obtained via density functional calculations with different generalized gradient approximations. By comparing the calculated adsorption and the lateral energies between different methods, we find that the melting temperature of the specific 2D ice structure is strongly method dependent. Therefore, further experimental works are urged to justify this possible new ice phase and probe its stability.     

Adsorption of HCl on the water ice surface studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The adsorption state of HCl at 20 and 90 K on crystalline water ice films deposited under ultrahigh vacuum at 150 K has been studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the O1s K-edge and Cl2p L-edge. We show that HCl dissociates at temperatures as low as 20 K, in agreement with the prediction of a spontaneous ionization of HCl on ice. Comparison between the rate of saturation of the "dangling" hydrogen bonds and the chlorine uptake indicates that hydrogen bonding of HCl with the surface native water "dangling" groups only accounts for a small part of the ionization events (20% at 90 K). A further mechanism drives the rest of the dissociation/solvation process. We suggest that the weakening of the ice surface hydrogen-bond network after the initial HCl adsorption phase facilitates the generation of new dissociation/solvation sites, which increases the uptake capacity of ice. These results also emphasize the necessity to take into account not only a single dissociation event but its catalyzing effect on the subsequent events when modeling the uptake of hydrogen-bonding molecules on the ice surface.     

Localized surface plasmon resonances of anisotropic semiconductor nanocrystals

We demonstrate that anisotropic semiconductor nanocrystals display localized surface plasmon resonances that are dependent on the nanocrystal shape and cover a broad spectral region in the near-IR wavelengths. In-plane and out-of-plane dipolar resonances were observed for colloidal dispersions of Cu(2-x)S nanodisks, and the wavelengths of these resonances are in good agreement with calculations carried out in the electrostatic limit. The wavelength, line shape, and relative intensities of these plasmon bands can be tuned during the synthetic process by controlling the geometric aspect ratio of the disk or using a postsynthetic thermal-processing step to increase the free carrier densities.     

Direct observation of OH radicals ejected from water ice surface in the photoirradiation of nitrate adsorbed on ice at 100 K

Production of gaseous OH radicals in the 248-350 nm photoirradiation of NO3(-) doped on amorphous ice at 100 K was monitored directly by using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. The translational energy distribution of the OH product was represented by a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution with the translational temperature of 3250 +/- 250 K. The rotational temperature was estimated to be 175 +/- 25 K. We have confirmed that the OH production should be attributed to the secondary photolysis of H2O2 produced on ice surface on the basis of the results of controlled photolysis experiments for H2O2 doped on ice surface.     

Effects of rugged nanoprotrusions on the surface hydrophobicity and water adhesion of anisotropic micropatterns

A facile laser-etching method was used for the one-step creation of various controllable dimensions of anisotropic micropatterns consisting of an alternating arrangement of microgrooves and microstripes with rugged nanoprotrusions, which after modified with fluoroalkylsilane reagent, showed perfect isotropic superhydrophobicity without apparent CA hystereses, water adhesion, and drag resistance, other than the conventional view of anisotropic surface microstructures with anisotropic surface dewetting. The detailed experiments and analyses have indicated that the introduction of the rugged nanoprotrusions on the surface of microstripes provided ideal 3D roughness, which could not only enhance the apparent contact angles close to 180 degrees by the "point" contact fashion to maximally reduce the liquid-solid contact area but, most importantly, make droplets easily roll off the surface without apparent CA hysteresis by regulating the triple-phase contact line (TCL) to become extremely discrete. These findings would be helpful in understanding the role of complex micro- and nanostructures on natural superhydrophobic biosurfaces and guiding the design of perfect artificial superhydrophobic materials for technological innovations such as the raindrop easy-cleaning, aquatic super-floating, and drag-reducing coatings.     

Segregation of hydroxide ions to an ice surface

Hydroxide ions that are initially buried within an ice film segregate to the ice film surface at elevated temperatures. This process was observed by conducting experiments with an ice film constructed with a bottom H(2)O layer and an upper D(2)O layer, with an excess of hydroxide ions trapped at the H(2)O/D(2)O interface as they were generated by Na hydrolysis. The transport of hydroxide ions from the interfacial layer to the surface was examined as a function of time using a low energy sputtering method. The progress of the H/D exchange reaction in surface water molecules was also monitored with the Cs(+) reactive ion scattering technique. At 90 K, only a small portion of buried hydroxide ions moved to the surface in the form of OD(-) species. This was due to hydroxide transport via proton hopping through a D(2)O layer, 3 BL thick, in the surface region. At 135 K, at which point water self-diffusion is active in the ice film, the majority of the buried hydroxide ions segregated to the surface after ～1 h. Both OH(-) and OD(-) species were produced at the surface, at an OH(-)/OD(-) population ratio ≥1. Based on kinetic measurements for the transport of OH(-) and OD(-) species and the H/D exchange of surface water molecules, we concluded that the major transport channel for hydroxide ions in this regime is the migration of molecular hydroxide species. H/D exchange reactions also occur between surface hydroxide ions and water molecules. No evidence was observed for the occurrence of the hop-and-turn process at 135 K, although it is known as an important mechanism of proton transport in ice.     

Distortion of the Fermi surface of an anisotropic two-dimensional Fermi gas

We report here the first quantitative theory of the change of anisotropic Fermi surfaces (FS ) due to the dynamical e–e interaction. The new FS is constructed as a self-consistent solution of the Dyson equation. This incorporates effects of “anomalous” diagrams, absent in the usual perturbation theory, but which are responsible for changing the FS . Calculations are presented for 2D electrons. Correlations reduce the anisotropy. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Growth inhibition at the ice prismatic plane induced by a spruce budworm antifreeze protein: a molecular dynamics simulation study

A molecular dynamics simulation was conducted to investigate the growth kinetics at the ice prismatic interface to which a spruce budworm antifreeze protein was bound. Two initial binding conformations of the protein at the interface--one energetically stable and the other energetically unstable--were examined. For both binding conformations, the growth of ice was observed around the protein. A sharp decrease in the rate of ice growth was observed around the protein that initially had the energetically stable binding conformation. Simulation results suggest that the observed decrease in the ice growth rate was attributable to melting point depression caused by the Gibbs-Thomson effect. The protein that initially had the energetically unstable binding conformation markedly relaxed so as to stably bind to the prismatic plane interface of the grown ice; thereafter, a decrease in the ice growth rate was observed as well. However, the binding conformation that the protein approached during the relaxation was different from that of the protein that initially had the energetically stable binding conformation. Thus, the simulation indicates the existence of two binding conformations for inducing a decrease in the ice growth rate. The results are possibly related to the hyperactivity of a spruce budworm antifreeze protein in real systems.