Synthesis of Monolayer Ice on a Hydrophobic Metal Surface

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the synthesis of a stable monolayer ice on a hydrophobic gold surface using a novel low-energy-electron-assisted method, revealing insights into water-metal interactions and 2D ice stabilization.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for stabilizing ordered monolayer ice on inert hydrophobic surfaces, combining experimental and computational techniques.

Findings

Monolayer ice composed of intact water molecules was synthesized on Au(111).

The approach is generalizable for stabilizing 2D ice on inert substrates.

Provides new insights into water-electron interactions at hydrophobic interfaces.

Abstract

Understanding water-metal interactions is central to disciplines spanning catalysis, electrochemistry, and atmospheric science. Monolayer ice phases are well established on hydrophilic surfaces, where strong water-substrate interactions stabilize ordered hydrogen-bond networks. In contrast, their formation on hydrophobic metals has been deemed ther-modynamically unfavourable, with water typically assembling into amorphous films, three-dimensional crystallites, or interlocked bilayer ice. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of a monolayer ice phase on the hydrophobic Au(111) surface using a low-energy-electron-assisted growth method. Combined experimental characterizations including low-energy electron diffraction, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, complemented by first-principles calculations, prove that the monolayer ice phase composes of intact water molecules. This approach provides a generalizable strategy for stabilizing ordered two-dimensional ice on inert substrates and offers new insight into the interplay between water and low-energy electrons at hydrophobic interfaces.