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Science 13 September 2002:
Vol. 297. no. 5588, p. 1765
DOI: 10.1126/science.297.5588.1765c
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The unusual strength of hydrogen bonds accounts for many of the exceptional properties of liquid water. Mitsui et al. (p. 1850) investigated how the properties of small water clusters change when grown on a platinum surface. Dimers, trimers, and tetramers were much more mobile than the monomer. The mobility decreased again when the cluster contained five or more molecules. The results indicate that the hydrogen bonds are particularly strong in the small water clusters, and the misfit between their structure and that of the underlying substrate enhances their mobility. Larger clusters form a stable hexagonal honeycomb structure that is commensurate with the underlying surface.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)