One-dimensional islands that grow during ice nucleation at low temperatures on a copper(110) surface are identified as chains of water-molecule pentagons. This unexpected molecular arrangement optimizes oxygen-atom proximity to preferred bonding sites on the metal, while minimizing strain in the hydrogen-bond network.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering. Sandia is operated by the Lockheed Martin Co. for the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
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Feibelman, P. Pentagonal ice in chains. Nature Mater 8, 372–373 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2428
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2428
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