Nonlinear viscoelastic dynamics of nano-confined water

TL;DR

This study investigates the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of nano-confined water using AFM, revealing a strain rate dependent relaxation time and slow dynamics, with relaxation times much longer than bulk water.

Contribution

It demonstrates that nano-confined water exhibits nonlinear viscoelasticity driven by strain rate dependent relaxation, a novel insight into confined water dynamics.

Findings

Relaxation time of nano-confined water is 0.1-0.0001 s.

Nano-confined water shows viscoelastic behavior similar to metastable complex fluids.

Relaxation times are comparable to supercooled water dielectric relaxation.

Abstract

The viscoelastic dynamics of nano-confined water is studied by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). We observe a nonlinear viscoelastic behavior remarkably similar to that widely observed in metastable complex fluids. We show that the origin of the measured nonlinear viscoelasticity in nano-confined water is a strain rate dependent relaxation time and slow dynamics. By measuring the viscoelastic modulus at different frequencies and strains, we find that the intrinsic relaxation time of nano-confined water is in the range 0.1-0.0001 s, orders of magnitude longer than that of bulk water, and comparable to the dielectric relaxation time measured in supercooled water at 170-210 K.