Observation of Mesoscopic Clathrate Structures in Ethanol-Water Mixtures

TL;DR

This study uses advanced microscopy techniques to identify mesoscopic clathrate structures in ethanol-water mixtures, providing insights into their abnormal properties and long-standing scientific puzzles.

Contribution

It is the first to directly observe mesoscopic clathrate structures in ethanol-water mixtures using TEM, NTA, and AFM, revealing their crystalline and hydrophilic nature.

Findings

Mesoscopic clathrate structures observed in ethanol-water mixtures.

Refractive index of 1.27+-0.02 at 405 nm supports presence of structures.

Structures are crystalline and hydrophilic, explaining anomalous properties.

Abstract

Water-alcohol mixtures exhibit many abnormal physicochemical properties, the origins of which remain controversial. Here we use transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study ethanol-water mixtures. TEM reveals mesoscopic clathrate structures with water molecules forming a crystalline matrix hosting a high density of tiny cells. The presence of these mesoscopic clathrate structures is further supported by a refractive index of 1.27+-0.02 at 405 nm measured via NTA and the hydrophilic nature of the mesoscopic structures implied by AFM observations, explaining many long-standing puzzles related to water-alcohol mixtures.