“Through various trial and error processes, we found that we had to cool the entire microscope system in a cooling box, and it took some ingenuity to ensure that the atomic force microscope, a precision measuring instrument, could operate stably at sub-zero temperatures,” explains ONISHI Hiroshi.
For the first time, researchers from Kobe University led by ONISHI Hiroshi observe the precise shape of ice at the interface between ice and liquid.
Due to the complexity of the task, researchers employed creative solutions to observe this phenomenon including antifreeze and cooling the microscope system in an ice box to be able to obtain accurate measurements.
They experimented with different types of liquids, also, to understand how they affect the surface of ice. As ice is surrounded by liquid most of the time, which is why ice is slippery, the key to understanding this mysterious relationship between ice and liquid lies in zooming in on this liquid layer (also on ice cream).
The “cool” study of ice
Researchers state that they first came up with the idea to measure ice in antifreeze with temperatures lower than 0°C. As water seems to be present regardless, these conditions enabled the state of the ice to remain fixed so they could study this phenomenon without the ice beginning to melt.
All the same, according to the press release, the experiments required a fair amount of trial and error to arrive at an innovative solution in the end.
While ice without surrounding liquid (A) features so-called “frost pillars” about 20 nanometers tall, in 1-octanol antifreeze (B) the ice is perfectly flat with occasional steps only one molecular layer high. In different liquids (C: 1-hexanol. D: 1-butanol) with similar properties, the ice surface looks different in each case, underscoring the importance of directly measuring the interface. (Image credit: YANAGISAWA Ryo)
“We found that we had to cool the entire microscope system in a cooling box, and it took some ingenuity to ensure that the atomic force microscope, a precision measuring instrument, could operate stably at sub-zero temperatures,” Kobe University researchers explain.
Ice without this layer of liquid features “frost pillars” about 20 nanometers tall. In anti-freeze conditions, it’s flat with occasional steps one molecular layer high, according to the press release.
“We think that the flat surface is formed through … partial dissolution and recrystallization of the ice surface in the 1-octanol liquid (the antifreeze),” the researchers were quoted.
They also experimented with liquids such as alcohol which changed the surface of the ice as well as its hardness. It communicates the importance of measuring this relationship between ice and liquid fundamentally though it may appear superficial.
The study, they hope, will encourage more studies into the ice-liquid interface. However, for Kobe researchers, their plan is clear.
“We expect to increase the resolution of the microscope to single water molecules and use measurement methods other than atomic force microscopy. In this way, we hope to expand the range of possible applications of molecular-level measurements of the ice-antifreeze interface,” they conclude in a press release.
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The phenomenon of liquid on ice
The surface of ice, no matter what, is covered with liquid water which turns out to be a phenomenon. Interestingly, scientists don’t yet know why there is always a thin layer of water on the surface of ice.
They’ve proposed pressure: the weight of a skate on ice, which might cause it to melt. However, that doesn’t fully explain why all ice has this slippery layer.
As the transmutation between ice and water happens quickly, scientists have yet to observe the relationship between ice and water until now. With the adjustments they made to the tools and process, Kobe researchers were able to observe the nature of ice like never before and that, hopefully, will solve the mystery of as why water is on the surface of ice.
The findings were published in the Journal of Chemical Physics.
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Maria Mocerino Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.
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