Abstract
The study detailed in this paper is about the determination of the physical–chemical parameters of water, after keeping it in prolonged contact with the Nafion polymer. The parameters under study are: electrical conductivity, χ (μS cm−1); heat of mixing with acid (HCl), ΔQ HClmix (J kg−1) or basic (NaOH) solutions, ΔQ NaOHmix (J kg−1), and pH. χ increases of up to two orders of magnitude, ΔQ NaOHmix (J kg−1) is exothermic and increases as the electrical conductivity increases, with a roughly linear trend, up to one order of magnitude. The analogous ΔQ HClmix (J kg−1), on the contrary, is found to be null. The pH is quite acid and shows a very good linear correlation with log χ. The linear correlations hint at a single cause for the variation of the three very different physical–chemical parameters. This complex and hard to rationalize phenomenology, finds a good theoretical support in the work hypothesis of the formation of dissipative structures within the liquid. These are far-from-equilibrium systems outside the paradigm of classical thermodynamics. The work hypothesis of the formation of molecular aggregates of water molecules (dissipative structures, aqueous nanostructures, clusters, coherence domains, etc.) is shared with two other aqueous systems obtained with different preparation protocols, so we briefly recall them here: (1) EDS (extremely diluted solutions): obtained through an iterative process of successive dilutions and agitations. (2) IFW (iteratively filtered water): obtained through an iterative process of successive filtrations through sintered glass filters. (3) INW (iteratively nafionized water): obtained through an iterative process of successive drying and wetting of the Nafion polymer. Each protocol produces water exhibiting its own peculiarities, to the point that they can be considered different, albeit with the common element of a variation of the super-molecular structure of the water solvent. The physical–chemical properties of these perturbed waters cannot be framed by the paradigm of classical thermodynamics, but rather require the use of the thermodynamics of systems far from the equilibrium and of irreversible processes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ball P. Water: water-an enduring mystery. Nature. 2008;452:291–2.
Elia V, Niccoli M. Thermodynamics of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1999;8(79):241–8.
Elia V, Niccoli M. New physico-chemical properties of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2004;75:815–36.
Elia V, Elia L, Cacace P, Napoli E, Niccoli M, Savarese F. Extremely dilute solutions as multi-variable systems. A study of calorimetric and conductometric behaviour as function of the parameter time. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2006;84:317–23.
Elia V, Elia L, Napoli E, Niccoli M. Conductometric and calorimetric studies of serially diluted and agitated solutions: the dependence of intensive parameters on volume. Int J Ecodyn. 2007;1:361–72.
Elia V, Napoli E, Niccoli M, Marchettini N, Tiezzi E. New physico-chemical properties of extremely dilute solutions. A conductivity study at 25 °C in relation to ageing. J Solut Chem. 2008;37:85–96.
Belon P, Elia V, Elia L, Montanino M, Napoli E, Niccoli M. Conductometric and calorimetric studies of the diluted and agitated solutions. On the combined anomalous effect of time and volume parameters. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2008;93:459–69.
Elia V, Elia L, Marchettini N, Napoli E, Niccoli M, Tiezzi E. Physico-chemical properties of aqueous extremely diluted solutions in relation to ageing. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2008;93:1003–11.
Cacace CM, Elia L, Elia V, Napoli E, Niccoli M. Conductometric and pH metric titrations of extremely diluted solutions using HCl solutions as titrant. A molecular model. J Mol Liq. 2009;146:122–6.
Elia V, Napoli E, Niccoli M. A molecular model of interaction between extremely diluted solutions and NaOH solutions used as titrant. Conductometric and pH metric titrations. J Mol Liq. 2009;149:45–50.
Elia V, Napoli E. Dissipative structures in extremely diluted solutions of homeopathic medicines. A molecular model based on physico-chemical and gravimetric evidences. Int J Des Nat. 2010;5:39–48.
Elia V, Napoli E, Niccoli M. Thermodynamic parameters for the binding process of the OH– ion with the dissipative structures. Calorimetric and conductometric titrations. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2010;102:1111–8.
Cattaneo TMP, Vero S, Napoli E, Elia V. Influence of filtration processes on aqueous nanostructures by NIR spectroscopy. JCCE. 2011;5:1046–52.
Elia V, Marrari L, Napoli E. Aqueous nanostructures in water induced by electromagnetic field emitted by EDS. A conductometric study of fullerene and carbon nanotube EDS. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2012;107:843–51.
Elia V, Napoli E, Niccoli M. Calorimetric and conductometric titrations of nanostructures of water molecules in iteratively filtered water. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2012. doi:10.1007/10973-011-2164-7015/12.
Elia V, Marchettini N, Napoli E, Tiezzi E. Nanostructures of water molecules in iteratively filtered water. J Opt Adv Mater. 2012 (in press).
Elia V, Napoli E. Nanostructures of water molecules in iteratively filtered water. Key Eng Mater. 2012;495:37–40.
S Lo SY. Anomalous state of ice. Mod Phys Lett B. 1996;10:909–919.
Lo SY, Bonavida B. Physical and chemical properties of IE clusters. Singapore: World Scientific; 1998.
Lo SY, et al. Physical properties of water with IE structure. Mod Phys Lett B. 1996;10:921–30.
Lo SY, Xu G, Gann D. Evidence for the existence of stable-water-clusters at room temperature and normal pressure. Phys Lett A. 2009;373:3872–6.
Rey L. Thermoluminescence of ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physics A. 2003;323:67–74.
Samal S, Geckeler KE. Unexpected solute aggregation in water on dilution. Chem Commun 2001;2224–2225.
Lo SY, Li WC. Onsager’s formula, conductivity, and possible new phase transition. Mod Phys Lett B. 1999;13:885–93.
Agmon N. The Grotthuss mechanism. Chem Phys Lett. 1995;244:456–62.
Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Ferris S, Montagnier J-L, Lavallée C. Electromagnetic Signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci. 2009;1:81–90.
Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Lavallée C, Mbamy M, Varon J, Chenal H. Electromagnetic detection of HIV DNA in the blood of AIDS patients treated by antiretroviral therapy. Interdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci. 2009;1:245–53.
Benveniste J, Jurgens P, Aïssa J. Digital recording/transmission of the cholinergic signal. Faseb J 10 A. 1996;1479.
Arani R, Bono I, Del Giudice E, Preparata G. QED Coherence and the thermodynamics of water. Int J Mod Phys B. 1995;9:1813–45.
Del Giudice E, Vitiello G. Role of the electromagnetic field in the formation of domains in the process of symmetry-breaking phase transitions. Phys Rev A. 2006;74:022105–9.
Sivasubramanian S, Widom A, Srivastava YN. The Clausius–Mossotti phase transition in polar liquids. Physics A. 2005;345:356–66.
Del Giudice E, Preparata G, Fleischmann M. QED coherence and electrolyte solutions. J Electroanal Chem. 2000;482:110–6.
Preparata G. QED coherence in matter. Singapore: World Scientific; 1995.
Yinnon CA, Yinnon TA. Domains in aqueous solutions: theory and experimental evidence. Mod Phys Lett. 2009;23:1959–73.
Yinnon TA, Yinnon CA. Electric dipole aggregates in very dilute polar liquids: theory and experimental evidence. Int J Mod Phys. 2011;25:3707–43.
Zheng JM, Chin WC, Khijniak E, Khijniak E Jr, Pollack GH. Surfaces and interfacial water: evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2006;127:19–27.
Pollack GH. Water, energy and life: fresh views from the water’s edge. Int J Des Nat Ecodynamics. 2010;5:27–9.
De Grotthuss CJT. Ann Chim LVIII. 1806;58:54–74.
Nicolis G. Physics of far-equilibrium systems and self-organization. In: Davies P, editor. The new physics. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1989.
Prigogine I. Time, structure and fluctuations. Nobel Lecture; 1977.
Magnani A, Marchettini N, Ristori S, Rossi C, Rossi F, Rustici M, et al. Chemical waves and pattern formation in the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/water lamellar system. J Am Chem Soc. 2004;126:11406–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elia, V., Napoli, E. & Niccoli, M. Physical–chemical study of water in contact with a hydrophilic polymer: Nafion. J Therm Anal Calorim 112, 937–944 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-012-2576-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-012-2576-z