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Basic science of water: Challenges and current status towards a molecular picture

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Abstract

Rapid developments in both fundamental science and modern technology that target water-related problems, including the physical nature of our planet and environment, the origin of life, energy production via water splitting, and water purification, all call for a molecular-level understanding of water. This invokes relentless efforts to further our understanding of the basic science of water. Current challenges to achieve a molecular picture of the peculiar properties and behavior of water are discussed herein, with a particular focus on the structure and dynamics of bulk and surface water, the molecular mechanisms of water wetting and splitting, application-oriented research on water decontamination and desalination, and the development of complementary techniques for probing water at the nanoscale.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing National Lab for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Sheng Meng

  2. Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, MS 647, Boulder, CO, 80305, USA

    Lauren F. Greenlee

  3. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Yuen Ron Shen

  4. International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Enge Wang

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  1. Sheng Meng
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  2. Lauren F. Greenlee
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  3. Yuen Ron Shen
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  4. Enge Wang
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Correspondence to Sheng Meng or Lauren F. Greenlee.

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Meng, S., Greenlee, L.F., Shen, Y.R. et al. Basic science of water: Challenges and current status towards a molecular picture. Nano Res. 8, 3085–3110 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0822-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0822-y

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