title: Permanent dissipative structures in water: the matrix of life? Experimental evidences and their quantum origin.
abstract: This paper presents a short review of the evidence - both experimental and theoretical - of the formation of dissipative structures in liquid water induced by three kinds of physical perturbations having a low energy content: extremely diluted solution (EDS), iteratively filtered water (IFW), and iteratively nafionated water (INW). Particular attention is devoted to the very recent discovery that such structures are tremendously persistent even in the solid phase: large ponderal quantities of supramolecular aggregates of water (with each nucleus hundreds of nanometers in size) have been observed - at ambient pressure and temperature - using easily-reproducible experimental methods. The nature of these dissipative structures is analyzed and explained in terms of the thermodynamics of far-from-equilibrium systems and irreversible processes, showing their spontaneous quantum origin. Are these kinds of structures the matrix itself of life?.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Germano
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II" Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 80126, Naples, Italy. r.germano@promete.it.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Napoli
mesh_terms: D015394:Molecular Structure; D011312:Pressure; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water