Ionic Mobility in Microcapillaries: A Test for Anomalous Water Structures

Abstract

Evidence is presented that water retains its characteristic bulk properties up to distances as close as a few molecular diameters from a hydrophilic, water-solid interface. This evidence is based on measurements of the ionic mobility within well-characterized microcapillaries. The measurements show that the energy of activation for viscous momentum transport in pores as small as 56 A in radius is virtually identical to the bulk-phase value. These findings contradict the frequent claims for anomalous, ice-like structures near solid boundaries.