Direct observation of 2-dimensional ices on different surfaces near room temperature without confinement

Abstract

Significance Many metal surfaces can stabilize 2-dimensional (2D) water monolayers or various structures of 2D ices, depending on the temperature and metal surface structures. Understanding of 2D ice formation on different surfaces at the molecular level, however, remains incomplete. We report simulation evidence of 2D ice formation on various surfaces without confinement and dependence of the 2D structure of water on the hydrophobicity and structure of underlying surface. The direct transformation of water nanodroplets to different 2D ices is shown, either on a smooth model surface or on fcc-crystal surfaces near room temperature. Physical mechanism related to the formation of different 2D ices is elucidated, which offers deeper insight into how the 2D ice formation is related to the water–surface interactions.