Interfacial water thickness at inorganic nanoconstructs and biomolecules: Size matters

The study of water dynamics at solid-liquid interfaces has strong implications in energy, environmental and biomedical elds. The peculiar behavior of water molecules in the proximity of solid nanostructures influences both the overall properties of liquid and the structure and functionality of solid particles. This article focuses on the hydration layer properties in the proximity of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and biomolecules (proteins, polipeptides and amino acids). Here we show a quantitative relation between the solid surface extension and the characteristic length of water nanolayer (), which is conned at solid-liquid interfaces. Specically, the size dependence is attributed to the limited superposition of nonbonded interactions in case of small molecules. These results may facilitate the design of novel energy or biomedical colloidal nanosuspensions, and a more fundamental understanding of biomolecular processes influenced by nanoscale water dynamics.