The nature of water interactions and the molecular signatures of hydrophilicity

TL;DR

This paper explores the molecular mechanisms behind water's structuring and hydrophilicity, revealing how water's unique interactions influence its behavior and interactions with other systems.

Contribution

It uncovers the molecular principles governing water's structuring and hydrophilicity, establishing a framework for understanding and quantifying these properties.

Findings

Identification of two limiting behaviors for hydrophilicity

Molecular mechanism underlying water's structuring and interactions

Establishment of absolute values for hydrophilicity

Abstract

The peculiar structuring of liquid water stems from a fine-tuned molecular principle embodying the two different interaction demands of the water molecule: The formation of hydrogen bonds or the compensation for coordination defects. Here we shall show that the same underlying molecular mechanism is also at play in order to establish favorable interactions with other systems. In this regard, the emergence of two limiting behaviors for hydrophilicity will help both to unravel its molecular underpinnings and to establish absolute values for such property.