Properties of Water in Capillaries and Thin Films

Abstract

One of the most controversial aspects of the study of water is research into its properties when present in capillaries and thin films, and the interpretation of these properties in terms of the effect of surfaces on water structure. The surface of a liquid can be considered to be a “fault” in its structure and, in principle, there can be no doubt that the presence of a boundary must influence to some extent the properties of the liquid near it. It has often been supposed that for a highly structured liquid like water the effect may be larger and more dependent on the nature of the surface than for a less structured liquid.