Water diffusion across the surfaces of materials is of importance to disparate processes such as water purification, aerosols, ice formation, and more. Despite reports of rapid water diffusion on surfaces and through nanopores, the molecular-level details of such processes remain unclear. Here we discuss recent work onwater molecule and water cluster diffusion on a range of surfaces. The focus will be on explaining trends and rationalising anomalies, such as the rapid motion of water dimers and trimers. The key physical factors most relevant to water motion that will be discussed are: the balance of water-water versus water-surface bonding and the ease with which hydrogen-bond exchange can occur (either through a classical over-the-barrier process or through quantum-mechanical tunnelling). The implications of this work to the Ostwald ripening of ice nanoclusters, water friction, and dynamical processes involving hydrogen bonded clusters in general will be discussed.

Understanding how water moves across the surfaces of materials with ultimate resolution

ACS Spring 2022

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