Discovery of an anomalous non-evaporating sub-nanometre water layer in open environment

TL;DR

This study used NV center magnetic resonance to discover a stable, non-evaporating sub-nanometer water layer on diamond surfaces in ambient conditions, revealing unique electronic and structural properties of confined water.

Contribution

It introduces a novel nanoscale dissection method with NV center technology to analyze low-dimensional water layers in open environments.

Findings

Identified a non-evaporating sub-nanometer water layer on diamond surfaces.

The water layer is impervious to atmospheric vapor and exhibits unique electronic transport.

The method enables atomic-scale analysis of water in native, ambient conditions.

Abstract

Water exhibits complex behaviors as a result of hydrogen bonding, and low-dimensional confined water plays a key role in material science, geology, and biology science. Conventional techniques like STM, TEM, and AFM enable atomic-scale observations but face limitations under ambient conditions and surface topographies. NV center magnetic resonance technology provides an opportunity to overcome these limitations, offering non-contact atomic-scale measurements with chemical resolution capability. In this study, a nanoscale layer dissection method was developed utilizing NV center technology to analyze water layers with diverse physicochemical properties. It unveiled the presence of a non-evaporating sub-nanometer water layer on a diamond surface under ambient conditions. This layer demonstrated impervious to atmospheric water vapor and exhibited unique electronic transport mediated via hydrogen bonding. These findings provide new perspectives and a platform for studying the structure and behavior of low-dimensional water, as well as the surface properties influenced by adsorbed water under native conditions.