title: Water clustering on nanostructured iron oxide films.
abstract: The adhesion of water to solid surfaces is characterized by the tendency to balance competing molecule-molecule and molecule-surface interactions. Hydroxyl groups form strong hydrogen bonds to water molecules and are known to substantially influence the wetting behaviour of oxide surfaces, but it is not well-understood how these hydroxyl groups and their distribution on a surface affect the molecular-scale structure at the interface. Here we report a study of water clustering on a moiré-structured iron oxide thin film with a controlled density of hydroxyl groups. While large amorphous monolayer islands form on the bare film, the hydroxylated iron oxide film acts as a hydrophilic nanotemplate, causing the formation of a regular array of ice-like hexameric nanoclusters. The formation of this ordered phase is localized at the nanometre scale; with increasing water coverage, ordered and amorphous water are found to coexist at adjacent hydroxylated and hydroxyl-free domains of the moiré structure.
authors: 1] Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark [2] Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, Lund University, Box 118, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
authors: Lindsay R
authors: LR
authors: Merte
authors: 1] Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark [2].
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Bechstein
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors: Guowen
authors: G
authors: Peng
authors: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Rieboldt
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors: Carrie A
authors: CA
authors: Farberow
authors: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Helene
authors: H
authors: Zeuthen
authors: 1] Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark [2].
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Knudsen
authors: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Lægsgaard
authors: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Wendt
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors: Manos
authors: M
authors: Mavrikakis
authors: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Flemming
authors: F
authors: Besenbacher