TY - JOUR
T1 - Water-induced correlation between single ions imaged at the solid-liquid interface
AU - Ricci, M.
AU - Spijker, P.
AU - Voitchovsky, K.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - When immersed into water, most solids develop a surface charge, which is neutralized by an accumulation of dissolved counterions at the interface. Although the density distribution of counterions perpendicular to the interface obeys well-established theories, little is known about counterions’ lateral organization at the surface of the solid. Here we show, by using atomic force microscopy and computer simulations, that single hydrated metal ions can spontaneously form ordered structures at the surface of homogeneous solids in aqueous solutions. The structures are laterally stabilized only by water molecules with no need for specific interactions between the surface and the ions. The mechanism, studied here for several systems, is controlled by the hydration landscape of both the surface and the adsorbed ions. The existence of discrete ion domains could play an important role in interfacial phenomena such as charge transfer, crystal growth, nanoscale self-assembly and colloidal stability.
AB - When immersed into water, most solids develop a surface charge, which is neutralized by an accumulation of dissolved counterions at the interface. Although the density distribution of counterions perpendicular to the interface obeys well-established theories, little is known about counterions’ lateral organization at the surface of the solid. Here we show, by using atomic force microscopy and computer simulations, that single hydrated metal ions can spontaneously form ordered structures at the surface of homogeneous solids in aqueous solutions. The structures are laterally stabilized only by water molecules with no need for specific interactions between the surface and the ions. The mechanism, studied here for several systems, is controlled by the hydration landscape of both the surface and the adsorbed ions. The existence of discrete ion domains could play an important role in interfacial phenomena such as charge transfer, crystal growth, nanoscale self-assembly and colloidal stability.
KW - atomic force microscopy
KW - molecular dynamics simulations
KW - solid-liquid interfaces
KW - atomic force microscopy
KW - molecular dynamics simulations
KW - solid-liquid interfaces
KW - atomic force microscopy
KW - molecular dynamics simulations
KW - solid-liquid interfaces
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5400
DO - 10.1038/ncomms5400
M3 - Article
VL - 5
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 4400
ER -